Living Two Lives
by merwholock4ever
Summary: High school is a tough life. For Hiccup and Astrid, they struggle to survive home and keep up appearances. But a normal school year quickly turns deadly. Hiccup is feeling stalked. Astrid is having father issues. A new harmful drug is going around. Hiccup and Astrid are having a hard time hiding their feelings. How long until someone gets hurt or dies? Modern AU
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone. Here's an idea that has been driving me crazy for quite a long time. I needed to write it out and share it with you wonderful people. For those of you who are following _Through Their Eyes, _I have every intention on finishing that fic as well. I am not abandoning it. This one was distracting me and I needed to quell the need to write it. ENJOY!

_Another school year. Yeah! Go me. _Hiccup thought as he took a deep breath and prepared himself for the plunge into Junior Year of high school. He kept his head and eyes low as to not get anyone's attention as he weaved through the hall of crowded students.

He was almost to his assigned locker for the year, without bumping into anyone and was getting excited. _This has to be a record. Maybe this is a sign that this year won't be that bad._

His hope was quickly shattered when a tall dark haired girl ran right into him. She fixed herself before she snapped, "Watch where you're going Useless!"

"Um..sorry," Hiccup apologized as the girl just stormed off. _So much for a good year._

Hiccup completed his journey without any other incidents. Once at his locker, he dropped his heavy backpack with eager movements as it landed with a major thud. _Can't wait to lighten my load._

"What do you have in there? Mount Everest?" a sweet voice asked.

Hiccup looked up to his right and saw a girl in a red tank top with blue jean shorts. On her face was a small smile and her ocean blue eyes sparkled at him. She looked so nice. But she would even if she was wearing a shirt with mud stains on it. At least to him she would. She was, after all, the girl he was completely heads over heels for.

"Could be Astrid," Hiccup smiled back. "It's definitely a mountain of books."

"Nice," Astrid winked at his little joke.

"So what can I do for you? Do you need a math or physics tutor?"

"I don't know yet but I will keep your offer in mind."

"Then what can I help you with?"

"Can you move a little to your left? My locker is apparently right next to yours."

Hiccup looked from Astrid to the locker and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Didn't know."

"I didn't expect you too," Astrid said as Hiccup moved over. "They're new every year."

Hiccup hit his head mockingly. "Duh! I'm an idiot."

Astrid giggled softly and Hiccup smiled as they began to put their books away. "So…uh…any classes I might be in?" Astrid asked.

"I'm taking U.S. History, Norse, art, English 11, physics, and calculus AB. Any ring a bell?" Hiccup asked.

"U.S. History, Norse, physics, and English 11," Astrid said. "I might need you to be my tutor if it gets too hot in physics."

"Well, you know where I live," Hiccup said. "You can always break in and ask."

"I think I'll stick to knocking on the door."

"Oh. What's the fun in that?" Hiccup whined.

Astrid cocked an eyebrow and looked at the boy in the plain green shirt and brown pants. "Everything. I get to see if you'd actually open the door."

"Oh. Is that a crack about my weakness?" Hiccup asked playfully. "Cause it isn't funny." Hiccup pouted his lips playfully.

"I don't know. Maybe," Astrid shrugged. Astrid suddenly changed her attitude and said, "Don't talk to me shrimp."

At first Hiccup was confused and taken aback but then he saw a certain someone come stand right next to Astrid and wrap an arm around her waist. Hiccup watched from the corner of his eye as Astrid stiffened and her eyes glazed over in discomfort.

"Is this dweeb bothering you dear?" the boy asked in an overly sweet tone.

"No. I took care of it," Astrid said as if she was bored.

The boy then took a step towards Hiccup. _Oh man! Here we go! School hasn't even started and I'm going to get decked._

"You stay away from my girl walking fishbone," The boy sneered as he pushed Hiccup against the locker.

"It's going to be kind of hard with her locker right next to mine Snotlout," Hiccup pointed out. Hiccup scolded himself as Astrid's eyes went wide in fear. _Next time, just keep your mouth shut._

"A nerd doesn't talk back to me!" Snotlout seethed as he raised a fist to punch Hiccup in the stomach.

"Snotlout!" Astrid said getting his attention. "He's right. We're going to end up meeting sooner or later. They're assigned lockers and can't be changed. Besides, I can handle him." Astrid noticed that Snotlout's determination to hit Hiccup wasn't going away so she said something that would stop him. "You don't want to get expelled the first day of school and miss out on football and my cheerleading now do you?"

Snotlout lowered his fist and let Hiccup go. He turned to Astrid and said, "You're right princess. Can't miss that."

The warning bell rang and Snotlout headed towards his first class leaving Hiccup and Astrid alone to complete their unpacking in silence. That is until Hiccup broke it.

"You didn't have to do that," he said.

"You're wrong," Astrid said as she closed her locker and grabbed her backpack. "I did have to do that." With that, Astrid walked away and went to her first class.

Hiccup watched her as she walked away. He then closed his locker and grabbed his backpack. _I hope I have her in at least one of my classes this year._

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

_I hope I have him in as many classes as possible. _Astrid thought as she walked to her first class. She hated treating Hiccup like he was a piece of trash but she had no choice. It was unfortunate that she had to lead two different lives. One that was fake and one that was true. At times she liked the fake life for certain reasons but she really loved her real life. Although there was one aspect that she absolutely hated but no one even knows about that.

Astrid was disappointed to see that Hiccup wasn't in her first class. She sat in the classroom just going through the motions like many of the other Juniors. It was almost Senior Year and that's what they were all thinking about.

_I can't believe this is the year that counts towards my college. I wonder if the rest of these morons know that. _Astrid sat there trying to pay attention but she just wasn't into it. _Computers! Whoo-hoo._

She was the first to leave that class and head to her History class. She was the first person in the class and chose a seat somewhere near the middle back. She wasn't one to be picky about where she sat but she always subconsciously chose that area for some reason. _I guess it started in middle school._

She opened her history book to see how bad the homework might be, that she didn't see someone in green sit down in the seat next to her.

"Hi," the person whispered.

Astrid jumped a little and turned to see that Hiccup had chosen to sit right next to her. He smiled warmly then turned to face the whiteboard and made it look like he was busy with something as the other students walked in. Astrid did the same because she didn't want to raise any suspicion that she was absolutely ecstatic to have Hiccup next to her, let alone in the same class. She constantly snuck peeks at Hiccup and he was doing the same to her.

_This class is going to be good. I know for sure._ Then something crept into the back of her mind and she shivered. She wanted to let everyone know, especially Hiccup, how she felt. She wanted to stop changing herself every time someone walked by when she was near him. It was tiring but she had to do it. _If I don't, I'll never see him again._

She was jolted out of her thoughts by her phone vibrating. She snuck it out and looked to see who sent her a text.

**Forest: R U OK?**

Astrid replied. **Yes. I'm fine. Y?**

**Forest: U looked like u were in a horror movie.**

Astrid rolled her eyes. **That's flattering.**

**Forest: But it's true. U looked like u saw a ghost.**

**May b I did.**

**Forest: U no u can tell me anything.**

**IK Thanks.**

**Forest: Any time.**

Just then the bell rang and class started. The class went by quickly though. Too quickly. She like being in Hiccup's presence. Something about him was just assuring, safe, and truthful. He filled the room with security when he was in it.

_Does he even know he does that? _Astrid wondered as she went to her next class.

The first day of school went on as normal with every class doing a syllabus of some kind, which was always boring. However, there was an upside to all of that. In her Norse language class, her physics, and her English 11 class, she was lucky to have Hiccup in all of them. To make things even better for her, he sat right by her.

_Four out of six isn't bad right? At least getting through my classes will be easier._

She went to her locker and retrieved the books that she needed, which was like one, then went to the bus stop. There she sat and waited with the other kids. In her pocket, just as the bus pulled up, she got a text. Her face was bright but when she saw who it was, she frowned.

**Dad: On your way home?**

Astrid sighed and texted back. **Yes.**

**Dad: Good. **

She put the phone away and sat down in the back of the bus. She liked the back. Very few kids sat back there and it wasn't nearly as noisy. She was about to close her eyes when her phone went off again. She sighed when she saw it was the same person.

**Dad: I'll be gone when you get home.**

**Y?**

**Dad: Work.**

**What time r u going 2 get back?**

**Dad: Idk**

Astrid shivered. _I hate it when he uses modern writing. It's so…ugh. _**How do u not no? **

**Dad: Bcuz I don't! Drop it!**

**K. Sorry.** Astrid put her phone away and sighed. She was annoyed. Again.

She hated it when her dad didn't tell where he was going. When he'd be somewhere. She could never plan for anything. It was hard. But one thing she did know was if he went somewhere this late in the day, he wouldn't come back till the late morning.

She was about to close her eyes again when her phone went off again.

"Really?" she sighed. She whipped it out angrily. The anger went away when she saw who it was.

**Forest: How r u? How was school?**

**U no. U were there. I'm annoyed but otherwise ok.**

**Forest: Ok. **

Astrid waited for a reply but it never came. Just as the bus doors closed, a boy in green just made it on and exchanged a few words with the driver. She was thinking about how she was going to be alone for the night and suddenly got an idea.

**Hey! Meet me at the river at 7 tonight.**

**Forest: Ok. Any special reason?**

**I just want to talk.**

**Forest: I will b there.**

Astrid put her phone away and watched as the main street businesses went by. She smiled when she remembered taking a tour when she was eleven. How she wished she could go back to those days when she was innocent and her life was free.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the long wait. Life has been crazy was of late.

Enjoy!

* * *

_This has got to be the best year of high school. _Hiccup thought. _I've got Astrid in four of my classes! This is too good to be true. _

Hiccup walked to his locker and retrieved, well, none of his books. He did, however, place two he received in class today. He paused for a second and texted on his phone. After he replied, he looked up to see what time it was and he ran to the bus stop.

He got there just as the last student got on, his chest heaving quickly trying to get air into his lungs. He just slid through the door before it closed and the bus started to roll.

"That was a close one Hiccup," Mulch, the bus driver said.

"Sorry," Hiccup panted. "Got delayed in Calculus."

Mulch shook his head as said, "I don't understand why you want to overload your brain with stuff like that. Unless you want to be an engineer or something. Go on. Sit down."

Hiccup smiled and looked around for a place to sit. It was pretty full except for the one seat that was available next to Fishlegs. In the back he saw Astrid sitting by herself but that was a one seater and he couldn't sit next to her.

_Darn! _He thought. He walked to the seat next to Fishlegs and sat down.

"Are you excited for this year?" Fishlegs asked immediately.

Hiccup looked at the large boy with a cocked eyebrow. "Why? Should I be?"

"Yes!" Fishlegs shouted making Hiccup jump. "It's the year that the college's look at for acceptance. Just think after this year, we'll be Seniors then we'll be in college!"

"Yeah," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Like getting older is something to be proud of." Hiccup's phone then vibrated in his pocket and he took it out. He smiled at who it was and replied. It went back and forth quickly and he smiled brightly at the last text he sent.

"So you up for video games tonight?" Fishlegs asked after he was done. "We don't have homework after all."

"Sure," Hiccup said. "But I have a meeting tonight. I have to leave around 6:30."

"Oh? What kind of meeting?"

"One that you don't need to worry about. It's personal."

"Ok. Just curious."

"I'll meet you at your house at 4:30 if that's ok?" Hiccup asked.

"Fine by me. Where are you going before then?"

"I'm going to talk to Gobber about something," Hiccup said.

"Is it that prosthetic you keep working on?"

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded nervously.

"Who's it for?"

"No one. Just making one," Hiccup said uncomfortably. He hated lying to Fishlegs but he didn't want it to get around town.

"Ok."

The bus pulled up to a stop and Hiccup grabbed his backpack and turned around. "I'll see you in about an hour or so." Fishlegs nodded as Hiccup looked to the back of the bus quickly and saw Astrid was smiling a bit.

He grinned too as he walked off the bus. "See you tomorrow Mulch."

"See you Hiccup."

The bus pulled away and Hiccup walked to the auto shop that was across the street. The moment he walked in, he was bombarded with the smell of gas and grease. The burning rubber was the most powerful smell in the shop.

"Hey Gobber!" Hiccup called out. "Did someone blow out a tire doing doughnuts again?"

Gobber rolled out from under a black Ford. He was as big in muscle as he was in fat but he was still every bit functional. He was accepting of his size and everyone also accepted his size. In fact, Gobber was one of the most popular men in Berk.

"You need to tell your cousin to stop doing doughnuts," Gobber said. "I don't think Spitelout can take much more of repairing this car."

"Ha!" Hiccup scoffed. "Like he'll listen to me. Snotlout has every intent of decking me. He tried this morning before school started."

Gobber flipped his safety mask up and looked at Hiccup. "I don't see any bruises or a black eye."

"Well, Astrid stopped him."

"Oh!" Gobber nodded. "So how is your lady?"

"She isn't my lady," Hiccup said a bit annoyed. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"As many times as it takes me to believe it," Gobber said. "I've seen the way you look at her."

"Ok," Hiccup nodded. "So I have a thing for her. Doesn't mean she's mine."

"And," Gobber continued. "I've seen the way she looks at you."

Hiccup blushed a bit and avoided eye contact. "So? She looks at me. Big deal."

"Big deal!?" Gobber asked astounded. "Who are you and where's Hiccup? The Hiccup I know would leap at the chance that a girl is looking at him. Especially the one he's had a crush on for years."

"Thank you for summing up my life Gobber," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Unless you already know," Gobber deducted. "And have been doing something about it."

Hiccup's eyes went wide and he smile nervously. "What are you implying?"

Gobber laughed and banged the table. "You two are doing it!"

"No!" Hiccup exclaimed. "God no! Jezz! What kind of guy do you think I am?" Hiccup shook his head in disgust.

"Well, you know teens nowadays. They don't wait for marriage."

"Well, I respect her too much to do something like that," Hiccup said. Gobber smiled at him and Hiccup quickly added, "If we were going out. But we're not so stop rubbing my shattered dreams in my face please."

Gobber shrugged and said, "Ok. So what can I do you for?"

"I came to get a coiled spring. The prosthetic is starting to lose its flexibility."

"Alrighty. One spring coming up." Gobber went over to one of the drawers and began to rummage through its contents. When he found one that he liked he showed it Hiccup. "This looks to be the right size?"

"Yep," Hiccup said. "That was fast. You're getting better at finding the right one."

"Well, you have been asking for the same type of spring for quite a while now," Gobber said as he went back over to the car. "Does anyone know about it?"

"Yeah. Only one person and you know who it is so don't bother asking," Hiccup said.

"Ok. Ok. I'll keep it a secret Mr. Secret Pants."

"I don't keep secrets," Hiccup argued. He turned his back and guiltily lowered his eyes.

Gobber gave him a disbelieving look. "Yeah sure."

"Ok," Hiccup gave up throwing his hands into the air. "So I have a few but everyone has a few. It's no big deal."

"You say that a lot you know," Gobber smiled. "What's your schedule like today?" He asked suddenly, quickly changing the subject.

"I promised Fishlegs I'd meet him at 4:30 then I have an important meeting at 7. Why?"

"Oh just curious. What about this year at school?"

"A normal school day. Start at 8, ends at 3. Then I might have an after school activity. I don't know what it'll be yet. I might also be a tutor. We'll see. Again, why?"

"I'm going to need help with my coaching this year," Gobber said. "I may still be spry but I'm not that spry anymore."

"Help? How?" Hiccup asked.

"As in a manager or something. Someone who can help me keep things organized and up to date. To make everything easy as possible. Last year was just completely hectic," Gobber said as he shivered, remembering the previous year.

"Yeah," Hiccup said. "Snotlout said something about it but I thought he was exaggerating. But if you're having nightmares, it must have been pretty bad."

"Well? I don't want to worry about things getting done by someone else. I know you'll get it done right."

"Thanks for the faith Gobber. And yeah, I'll help. It could be fun."

"Ah thanks lad!" Gobber breathed in relief. "You're going to make my life so much easier."

"Even with the auto shop, the ice cream shop, and vet hospital?" Hiccup asked. "I don't think I'm making a dent in your schedule."

"Oh, you'll be surprised," Gobber said.

"Ok," Hiccup shrugged. "I'll see you then. I have to pick up some things before I go over to Fishlegs'."

"Alright see you later toothpick!"

"Hahaha! Very funny," Hiccup laughed. "See you later."

Hiccup walked out of the auto shop and quickly walked down Main Street to his house. At the same time he reached it, the bus had pulled up to its stop. He went inside and grabbed the things he needed and left to Fishlegs' house.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there! Next chapter's up! I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think of the story. I'd love to hear your opinions on it.

ENJOY! XD

* * *

Astrid walked down to the football field in a plain shirt and lose shorts. It was the first Monday of school and also the first day of cheer practice.

"Hey Astrid! Wait up!" a girl called behind her.

Astrid turned to see a tall, skinny girl in long blonde braids run up to her. "Hi Ruffnut. How was school?"

"Ugh," Ruff rolled her eyes. "I can't believe we have to read while we're still alive."

"Well, it's the only way to get through the world today you know," Astrid said. "We aren't in ancient Medieval times you know."

"I know," Ruff said. "I would rather it be in ancient Viking times. God! They did some crazy things."

Astrid rolled her eyes. Ruff was one of the good parts of her fake life. Ruff was her friend but she was also a bit crazy. But no matter how crazy she was, Ruff always had an understanding and soft side to her. The same girl who would purposefully blow up stuff in chemistry would also help Astrid through her tough times.

_Well, she's only one of two that do that. _Astrid thought as she smiled to herself.

"I bet that the Berserkers are going to get their arses beat this year," Ruff said.

"Maybe," Astrid said. "It all depends on how well the team works together."

"Tuff's on it this year," Ruff said. "So we're bound to win."

"Oh, no," Astrid sighed. "You're brother's going to be on the football team with Snotlout? There goes the season."

"Hey! He's good. Besides, Fishlegs will probably be the one that keeps them in line."

Astrid cocked an eyebrow. "You mean the smarty? He's afraid of his own shadow that last I remembered. How will he stand up to your brother and Snotlout?"

"He changed over the summer," Ruff said. "He went away to some sort of camp but when he came back he was more confident about himself."

"Ok," Astrid said as she put her gym bag on the floor by the bleachers with Ruff following suit. "How do you know that? School has only been going for a week."

"I saw him during the summer," Ruff said. "You know the boy from Berserk High?"

Astrid rolled her eyes in disgust. "Yeah. Dagur."

"Well, he has been teasing and tormenting Fishlegs since we were in elementary," Ruff said. "But when Dagur tried again when he got back, Fish defended himself."

"What?"

"Yeah. Dagur tried to punch him but instead got punched by Fish."

"Ok, maybe he will be able to be the peacekeeper between Snot and Tuff."

"You called?" Tuff, a boy with long blonde dread locks, asked as he approached the girls.

"My ears are burning," Snotlout said as he followed suit. "Someone said my name."

"Hi," Astrid said not really caring. She turned to her gym bag and retrieved her water bottle. "So how was your guys' first Monday?"

"Ugh!" Tuff sighed. "I can't believe we have to read while we're still alive."

Astrid shook her head and smiled. _Those two are definitely twins._

"Yeah," Snotlout said. "Why read when you can just do the stuff the words tell you stuff about?"

Astrid sighed in annoyance. _Idiot. _

"Alright everyone," Gobber said as he walked forward. "Welcome to football practice!" The boys all walked over and stood in front of Gobber. "You too ladies."

Ruff and Astrid looked at each other as they walked over with the rest of the cheer team.

"Why are we over here?" one girl asked.

"Yeah," another said. "We cheer not throw a ball."

"That's because Gothi and I want you over here," Gobber said. An older lady with grey hair walked up beside Gobber and nodded.

"Ok," Astrid said a bit confused at what was happening.

"Man, I hope I get a serious injury," Tuff said.

"Yeah," Astrid scoffed. "It's only fun if you get a scar out of it."

"No kidding right?" a voice said. "Pain! Love it!"

"Hey," Tuff said. "What's he doing here?"

Everyone looked to see what and who he was talking about. They all gasped, except for Astrid, at who it was.

"He doesn't belong here," Snotlout said. "What's he doing here?" Snotlout was definitely annoyed.

"He is here Snotlout," Gobber said eyeing the teen. "To help with this year's season."

"How?" Tuff asked. "By being the dummy we tackle?" Both Snotlout and Tuff began to laugh followed by many of the other football players. Even a few of the girls laughed.

Astrid shook her head in disgust. _So mature. _

"No," Gobber said. "He's here as manager."

"Manager?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yes," Gobber nodded. "Manager for the football team." Most of the boys groaned in disgust and disbelief.

"You're right," Ruff whispered to Astrid. "There goes the season."

"I think he'll do a good job," Astrid whispered back. Ruff just looked at her with a cocked eyebrow.

"But why?" Snotlout complained.

"Because I'm not as spry as I used to be," Gobber explained. "I need help and I trust Hiccup to get to job done right."

"He'll just slow us down," Tuff said.

"I'll be doing the paperwork and stuff, not playing," Hiccup said. "I don't see how shuffling papers and organizing things are going to affect your game playing."

"He's got a point," Astrid said. Everyone turned to her in shock.

"Who's side are you on babe?" Snotlout asked.

"I'm on the side that will allow us to win," Astrid said. "If Gobber needs help behind the scenes so that he can concentrate on your gaming skills then I'm all for Hiccup being manager."

"Thank you Astrid," Gobber said.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Gothi piped in. "Because he's also the manager for the cheer team as well."

"What!?" everyone asked in surprise.

"But why?" Ruff asked.

"For the same reasons as Gobber. I'm not that spry anymore and I can't multitask as I used too."

"But what if he's a pervert?" one girl whinned.

"Yeah," Tuff said. "He could take his lack of girlfriend out on the girls."

"He's not going into the locker rooms," Gothi said. "NO boy is allowed in there. He'll be doing the same things he is doing for Gobber."

"But," a girl started.

"No buts!" Gothi snapped. "He's your manager as well as the football players'. End of discussion!"

All of the students went ridged in shock and fear. Gothi only blew up when she needed too. "Yes ma'am."

"Alright!" Gobber shouted. "Let's get started with practice."

The football players headed toward the field as the girls headed to an area on the other side to practice their cheers. Astrid was the last to turn and walk away for she stayed to look at Hiccup with a big smile. _First, four of my classes and now at practice. God must be on my side._

Hiccup noticed that she hadn't joined the others yet and looked at her smiling face. He smiled back shyly and gave her a nod. Astrid nodded back. As she went to join the others, she winked at him, making his heart flutter.

"What took you so long?" Ruff asked.

"I guess I was more shocked than I thought to find out that Hiccup would also be managing us," Astrid lied.

"Does that mean we have to follow what he tells us?" the girl next to Ruff asked.

"Um…probably," Ruff said. "That is why he's manager right?"

"If he gives us any directions, it will be from Gothi," Astrid deducted. "He won't try and exert any power over us. That's not who he is."

"And how would you know who he is?" Ruff asked. "You know him just as well as we do so what makes you an expert?"

"Nothing," Astrid said. "I've just seen what he's done in the past and that's my theory of him so drop it."

* * *

Hiccup walked to his car feeling satisfied. He had completed his first day of managing both teams without any hitches. It had gone pretty smoothly. He had noticed some things about some of the players that he'd have to tell Gobber sooner or later but he wanted to make sure his observation was correct. He hadn't noticed anything with the cheer team, except that Astrid was very flexible but he already knew that.

He put his key into the lock and opened the car door as he continued to reflect on the practice day. He had expected the football players to groan when they found out he was going to manage them. He even expected the girls to have the same reaction. _Ha. You should have seen my reaction when Gobber came to me with that proposal this morning._

However, what he didn't expect was Astrid to defend him in front of everyone. He was very grateful that she did but he could handle himself against Snotlout verbally. He was more afraid of her blowing her cover doing things like that. Heck, Gobber's getting suspicious.

As he started the car, realization came over him and his eyes went wide._ Now Gobber has more fuel to use against me. Just great._

He backed out of the car space and headed home. As he went down Main Street, his eyes lingered on _Gobber's Ice Cream Forge_. He smiled remembering the day he met Astrid for the first time.

_Those were good times._ He thought. He smile dropped, remembering what had happened between them. He hated it and wish it could be changed. But it couldn't. _Not for a while at least._

He pulled up into the driveway of his house and parked the car in the garage. Seeing that his father wasn't home yet, Hiccup didn't enter the house. He closed the garage, retrieved some meat from the garage fridge and entered the backyard through the side gate. He then worked his way through the overgrown trees and bushes and snuck out of the yard onto Main Street and darted quickly into the forest.

* * *

Oh! And feel free to leave theories of where you think the story is going. I'd love to hear them. Trust me, I think you're going to be in for quite a ride.


	4. Chapter 4

Time to introduce Dagur! Yes! Love this character!

Now a little heads up, I'm not smart when it comes to science or anything drug related so everything mentioned is BS. So trigger warning for anyone who needs it, there is mention of drugs in this chapter. There is also some sexual mentioning as well. I will always put warnings at the beginning of chapters that I feel might be triggers. Don't want to cause any harm to anyone.

So without further a due, here's the next chapter.

ENJOY! XD

* * *

Dagur leaned against the wall near the locker room waiting for Bobby to come out so that they could proceed with their day of pain. Well, more like his day but Bobby was his legacy and he needed someone to follow in his footsteps when he moved elsewhere. _Don't want Berk to get soft with me gone at college. _He smiled wickedly thinking about the torment he could achieve in a place where there were people his age.

The door swung open and Bobby, a dark haired, slightly large boy fumbled out of the door, still trying to get dressed. "Sorry Dagur. Coach Vorg wanted to talk to me."

"About what?" Dagur cocked a menacing eyebrow. "School hasn't been in for more than a week and you're already failing aren't you?"

"No-no. It was no-nothing too important," Bobby stammered. "He just wanted to know how I was getting better in my tackling skills. Says that it'll come in handy against the Dragons."

Dagur smiled and chuckled in a bored fashion. "Didn't I tell you if you stayed with me you'd go places?"

"Yes," Bobby nodded. "So what do you have in mind? Are we going to track down Fishface?"

"Naw!" Dagur shook his head. He didn't like how Fishlegs had decked him in front of everyone. In truth, Fishlegs had gotten much bigger than him but he still saw him as a guppy. He didn't expect him to defend himself. "I was thinking of someone different."

"Like who? Snotlout?"

"Naw. He's too lame."

"But he idolizes you in a way."

"He would fight back. He's too much of a beef," Dagur sighed. He thought of maybe the twin Tuffnut but he was too stupid to realize what was happening. In fact, he was more afraid of his sister, Ruffnut, to do something to him.

"I know you've been wanting to get your hands on Astrid," Bobby smirked. "You've kind of had a thing for her lately."

"The girl! Hoo-hoo," Dagur smiled in lust as he thought about the blonde. He also remembered that she was dating Snotlout and that he would probably defend her. Dagur thought for a second and then shrugged. "Let's go and see if she's away from Snotlout enough to do anything."

The two walked from the edge of town, where their high school was located and headed to the center of town. They rolled down the streets on their skateboards. They weaved in and out of people, not caring about their loud remarks as they whizzed past in great speed. They almost hit several elderly people but didn't care.

"What where you're going you old fogies!" Dagur spat at them as they rolled away.

They made it to the Sports Academy and kicked their boards up into their arms as they walked into the arena. They walked around until they reached the swimming pool and watched the many swimmers.

"What are we doing at the pool?" Bobby asked. "I thought Astrid was a cheerleader."

"She is you idiot," Dagur barked. "But I heard from some really good sources that she comes here some afternoons to swim and –" Dagur stopped talking as a girl in a red one piece exited the pool and pulled the white cap off of her head, releasing a long mass of wet, blonde hair. "There she is."

Bobby looked and saw what Dagur saw. He understood why Dagur wanted to get his hands on her body. She was slim but muscular and her curves were all in the right places. "She is really good looking in bare minimum."

"Damn right and I will get her," Dagur smiled as he entered the pool area and walked toward her.

She was bending over her swim bag grabbing a towel and patting her hair dry. He looked at her rear and liked how toned it was. He licked his lips as he got closer.

"Well, well, well Astrid," he said in fake surprise. She turned around and her hair flipped around, getting him wet in the process. She looked at him in disgust. "What a wonderful coincidence."

"Coincidence my ass," Astrid snorted. "What are you doing here?"

"We were just passing by and saw you were here," Dagur sauntered forward a bit.

"Yeah. And the sky is yellow," Astrid rolled her eyes and turned from the two of them to get her things together.

"The sky is actually yellow?" Bobby asked in fear. "Have I been told the wrong thing for years?"

Astrid rolled her eyes in annoyance as she grinned. Dagur on the other hand, seethed and smacked his partner, sending him flying into the pool. He then looked around closely to see that no one was looking and pounced on Astrid, pinning her to the wall.

Astrid was taken by surprise and Dagur saw this along with…_was this fear? _He smiled wickedly at her reaction. "You hung out with Hiccup for too long all those years ago. He's rubbed off on you in a bad way but I can fix that."

"Oh?" Astrid asked, her fear no longer present and now replaced by anger. "How?"

"Well, you dump that stupid Snotface and you date me," Dagur got really close to her face and sniffed her. "You smell amazing even through chlorine." He then pressed his entire body against her, continuing to pin her against the wall and moved his hand down her curves and landed on her bottom. "I'll give you a better experience than that beef."

Astrid furled her eyes and pushed him suddenly with great force and in a matter of seconds had him on his back with her knee on his throat and her other knee in the tender part of his stomach.

"You touch me like that again, I will break something. I've done it before remember?" Dagur nodded remembering how he had to wear a cast on his right arm for six weeks. "And his name is Snotlout not Snotface. He's a great friend and if you insult him again, you will end up on your back again in greater pain than you are in right now. Got it?" Dagur nodded in defiance but it got her up off of him. She smiled in a sweetly fake way and said, "Have a nice day."

Dagur watched as she grabbed her swim bag and went to the locker room to change. Behind him, Bobby finally was able to get out of the pool and walked up next to Dagur who had just gotten up.

"So how did it go?" Bobby asked.

Dagur growled in anger and pushed him back into the pool. "I will get you Astrid. You will be mine."

* * *

It was nearing eight in the evening and Stoick was getting impatient. He was beginning to doubt if he should ask Hiccup for advice. He knew what it was like being seventeen. Hormones racing, high school feeling like it was the most important thing in the world, not to mention Hiccup helping Gobber out at every single one of his businesses.

_A well rounded knowledge of things is good though. It will help him later in life. Who knows, maybe it'll come in handy someday._

He was proud of all that Hiccup had accomplished; had overcome by this point in his life. He was proud of how strong, brave, and smart he was about everything. _If only you could see how he turned out Val. Always helping others, just like you._

Stoick's forlorn thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door open and close gently. He got up and rushed out of the living room and into the hallway. "Hiccup!"

"Dad!" Hiccup jumped. "I uh-didn't know you were um-going to be home this early. What's up?"

Stoick cocked a curious eyebrow as he looked his son up and down. He could see Hiccup was definitely taken off guard but he didn't believe it was because he was home earlier than usual. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"Me? Ha-ha-aha," Hiccup laughed nervously. "No. No. Just not used to being greeted by you when I get home."

Stoick's face fell slightly. He knew he had been away at work a lot for the past couple of years. If it weren't for Gobber, Stoick would have missed out on Hiccup growing up; missed out on his greatest achievements. He sighed and walked across the hall into the kitchen. "Come with me."

Hiccup's eyes dilated slightly at the strange command but he followed him anyways. He slowly sat down at the kitchen bar and fiddled with his hands. "What did I do now?" he asked uncertainly.

"Huhm?" Stoick mumbled as he filled a kettle with water and put it on the stove. "Oh. Nothing." He then turned slightly and eyed Hiccup with his peripheral vision. "Unless there's something I need to know."

"Ah no. Not that I know of," Hiccup shrugged. "Then what's with the boiling kettle and the mysterious atmosphere?"

Stoick looked at his son straight on. He watched his son's face twitch at the direct observation and how his eyes darted nervously before he lowered his head entirely to escape the scrutinizing stare. He sighed and gave in. Stoick walked over to his satchel and grabbed several files and slid them across the bar, having them stop right under Hiccup's line of sight.

Hiccup jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of the manila folders. It took him a second to register where they were from before snapping his head to look at his father in confusion. "These are from the office."

"Very good," Stoick nodded. "I want you to look at them."

Hiccup's mouth fell slightly. "It's government business. Couldn't I get into trouble for reading these?"

"You're not anyone Hiccup. You're my son. You're not breaking in or reading files without permission. I'm giving you that permission. Now open them."

Hiccup looked down at the folders and opened them slowly. In no time, he had become completely captivated by their contents. Stoick watched his son's eyes dart quickly as he read field reports, statements, medical reports, and saw pictures. He was impressed by how quickly he was able to get through everything.

"This is some deep stuff," Hiccup murmured. "Why are you letting me read this?"

"I need fresh eyes on it. I need an outside opinion," Stoick explained. The kettle then began to whistle and he turned to remove it from its hot coils. He could feel Hiccup's eyes on him and he didn't even need to turn around to see the dumbfounded expression on his face. "Yes," Stoick nodded as he retrieved two mugs from the cabinet. "I'm asking you for your help. I'm not incapable of it."

"I uh- didn't say you were. It's just that you rarely ask for help, let alone mine," Hiccup smiled.

"Yes, well…" Stoick agreed uncomfortably. _Had I never really asked him before? God! I'm a horrible parent. _"Black?"

"What?"

"You like black tea right?" Stoick asked again. "British Blend?"

"Um..yeah," Hiccup nodded. "Didn't think you remembered."

"I have an excellent memory."

"Uh huh," Hiccup nodded, lowering his head back to the files to try and cover up his grinning face.

"Don't you sass me," Stoick cracked a grin. "I can see you smiling under that wall of bangs."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Stoick chuckled slightly as he placed a tea bag into each of the cups; placing one in front of Hiccup as it stewed. "So. Do you have any ideas?" Stoick gestured to the files.

"I'm not sure," Hiccup scrunched his nose in thought. "There's no pattern in the victims. They're everywhere. Not grouped by gender, race, age, hair color, eye color, body type, by anything. It's as if whoever has been attacking these people have been doing it by random."

"Guess that can rule out serial killer."

"Guess so," Hiccup mumbled. "I'd also say rule out rapists and muggers but there's not enough information yet to rule them out. Who knows how many others there are."

"So what can you tell me?" Stoick asked as he grabbed the container of milk out of the fridge and a sugar bowl from another cabinet.

"Most likely muggers," Hiccup said confidently. His confidence then faded as he shook his head. "No it can't be. It doesn't add up."

"What do you mean?" Stoick poured milk into his cup and spooned some sugar into it and began to stir it together.

Hiccup put the file down and sighed. He grabbed the milk and sugar and proceeded to fix his cup of tea. "None of the victims lost any of their possessions. All had their wallets, cards, IDs, money, and anything else of value still on them. If it were muggers, they would have taken them. Grr. I see why you needed fresh eyes."

Stoick chuckled. "Well you have helped me out a bit."

"But those markings look like bruises," Hiccup continued in thought. He was so caught up in thought that his stirring became muscle memory and the clanking of the spoon on the side of the cup echoed through the kitchen.

Stoick grabbed his hand to stop the noise, startling Hiccup out of his thoughts. "What marking?"

"These ones," Hiccup slide the files for his father to see. "Now these bruises are the only thing at least three of the victims have in common. We can see them here because they're wearing short sleeves or a tank top."

"I've never noticed them before," Stoick stared intently at the photos. "I'm going to have the police question them all about an unknown bruise tomorrow."

"They didn't question them before?" Hiccup inquired. "Seems as if they're slacking a bit."

"Does seem quite odd," Stoick agreed. He them smiled and slapped Hiccup in the arm. "Good work son! This could be a clue."

Hiccup grabbed the edge of the bar to stop himself from falling. He righted himself and smiled brightly. He was glad he was able to help his father but something began to bug him. "Yeah but I don't think that bruise is the right word now that I think about it."

"What do you mean?"

Hiccup grabbed the photos again and stared at them intently. "They're too perfectly round. They have the same coloring and texture as a bruise but it's too round. It's like a black and blue target, not a random breaking of blood vessels." He looked closer and looked back at the medical reports. His eyes then went wide. He whipped out his phone and began to type.

"What are you doing?" Stoick asked quizzically.

"Looking up marijuana," Hiccup responded nonchalantly.

Stoick's eyes went wide and his eyebrows furrowed. "What!?" he exclaimed.

Hiccup jumped at his father's angered voice and looked up to see and equally angered face. "I'm looking up the chemical composition of it."

Stoick softened a bit. "Why?"

"Damn!" Hiccup muttered. "Maybe cocaine?"

Stoick was once again livid. He was about to question when Hiccup exclaimed again.

"Seriously?! Come one it has to be one of these," Hiccup mumbled as he continued to type and exclaiming every time he didn't get what he wanted.

Stoick watched as Hiccup's face light up with an idea and then get up to grab a pencil. He glanced back from his phone to the files as he began to scribble a bunch of letters and numbers. Hiccup's face fell as he looked between the stuff he wrote and the medical reports. "They don't match." He put the pencil down and rested his head in his hands in defeat for a second before his eyes went wide once again.

"Son, you're getting me sick with how fast your face is changing," Stoick grumbled, still upset that Hiccup was looking up drugs and refused to answer his question. He watched as Hiccup change some things around and nodded in excitement.

"Dad I was right, I think. You might want doctors to double check but…" Hiccup nodded as the rest of the sentence died in the air.

"Right about what?" Stoick asked.

"Those aren't bruises. Those are needle puncture wounds. Those people were attacked and injected with something. It has the basic chemical compound of almost every other drug out there. It didn't really come up in the medical reports because it's not a common substance doctors can easily identify."

"What?" Stoick grabbed the files and looked back and forth between Hiccup's scribbles and the medical reports trying to wrap his brain around it.

"In fact, this kind of reminds me of the drug crisis a couple of years ago that quickly disappeared," Hiccup thought out loud. "Do you think that there's any connection?"

"I don't know but I intend to find out."

* * *

Once again, I know nothing about drugs so everything is BS. I hoped you enjoyed it anyway and is very intrigued. :D


	5. Chapter 5

Here's the next chapter. I hope you all are enjoying this story. I'm having fun writing it.

ENJOY! XD

* * *

Snotlout was in a good mood. He had been able to pass his first physics test with a B+! It was early in the school year for a major test but he was proud nonetheless. He was very proud of himself. But he would never let anyone know that.

People thought they knew him. Thought he was an easy book to read. They were wrong. He wanted to be more than just a bag of muscles. He wanted to be smart. Yes, he liked football but he wanted to be more than just a football player. His father was the star of his high school team and expected the same thing out of him. He felt he had to live up to his father's glory.

He was putting his books away when Hiccup walked behind him in a distant manner. He watched as Hiccup dodged people subconsciously as he continued to read from his journal. _Something in there is making him think of something. He only does that when he's in deep thought. _

As Snotlout was about to turn away, he saw two Seniors who, for a reason unbeknownst to him, hated Hiccup more than he did. The Seniors saw that Hiccup was distracted with his journal and wasn't really there; they decided to trip him. One of them stuck out their foot, causing Hiccup to lurch forward and toss his arms out in front of him to catch himself. Due to Hiccup not being quick enough, he landed on his elbows and banged his head on the ground.

Snotlout winced at the thought of the pain he must have felt when his head hit the ground. He watched has Hiccup pushed himself up off the ground and shake his head and turn to look at the two boys.

"Wow," one boy laughed. "I didn't know you could trip over your thoughts."

"You really are clumsy," the other boy laughed. Snotlout knew him to be the leader of his click. "I didn't know your thoughts were anything to fall for."

The leader took a couple of steps and snatched the journal from Hiccup's hand. "Hey! That's mine! Give it back Jason!"

Jason ignored Hiccup and began to flip through some pages. "You have a thing for wolves don't you?" Jason inquired. He flipped through a bit more. "And dragons?" Jason cocked an eyebrow.

The other boy looked over Jason's shoulder. He smiled and laughed. "Is that him on the back of that dark one?"

"I believe so Mike," Jason agreed. He turned to Hiccup who was scowling at the two as he rubbed his reddening temple. "No wonder you don't have a girlfriend. You're in love with yourself. You riding a dragon? Please."

"How egotistical," Mike shook his head.

Snotlout rolled his eyes. _Ridiculous. _The one thing Hiccup had over him, was creativity. He always liked seeing Hiccup's new dragon designs. Yes, he made fun of them but he couldn't have Hiccup knowing that he liked them.

"You should watch where you're going," the Jason smirked as he threw Hiccup's journal at him. "If you don't stop tripping over nothing, people will think you have two left feet."

Hiccup's head snapped up at the two boys. His breathing increased slightly as his eyes darted around the room. He tried to act normal by picking up the rest of his tussled items off the floor and back into his backpack.

Snotlout saw the panic in his cousin's eyes as the boy mentioned his left foot. "Or maybe you have a fake foot, that's why-"

Snotlout snapped. He saw the hurt and fear in Hiccup's face. Snotlout was no angel to Hiccup but this had gone too far. Snotlout lunged at the leader and threw him against the lockers with a loud bang. Jason was at least a half foot taller than him but Snotlout didn't care. He was the Receiver on the football team, he could lift over a hundred pounds, and he was now in protective mode. His eyes burned with rage as he glared at the older boy.

He could feel the eyes of shock upon him from the small group that had gathered. He could also feel Hiccup looking at him with shock and confusion but he didn't care.

"Don't ever joke about someone having lost a limb," Snotlout seethed. "It's not a fun experience!"

"I wasn't insulting you I was…"

"I know who you were insulting!" Snotlout banged the boy against the lockers. "It's not an amusing insult. That's hitting below the belt. Besides, Hiccup is my nerd to push around and not yours."

"I don't see your name on…"

"He's mine! And if I see you teasing him, hurting him, or even thinking about insulting him, I will show what it will feel like to lose a limb," Snotlout threatened. Any other time, this kind of threat would have been ignored by the older boy but not this time. Snotlout's blazing eyes said that he would go through with it.

"I got it," Jason nodded. "Hiccup's yours. Have fun."

Snotlout let him go and threw glances at everyone who had gathered. They quickly dispersed, fear of having themselves be threatened in the same way. He looked down at Hiccup who just looked at him confused.

"Um…thank you," Hiccup said.

"Don't mention it…ever," Snotlout turned his back. He didn't want his cousin to see the thoughts running through his head. He knew that Hiccup could read a person well by their face and he wanted to avoid any awkwardness. "No one messes with you but me. I had to protect my interests from competition."

With that, Snotlout walked away, leaving Hiccup still on the floor. Snotlout heard Hiccup say something along the lines of 'ok' as he got up and continued walking to class. Unbeknownst to him, Astrid saw the whole thing and was smiling at his act of protectiveness.

* * *

Astrid laid on her bed thinking about the day's events. She loved how Snotlout defended Hiccup. Granted, his excuses weren't the best but he did stop the teasing. _He's a nice guy. He can be caring but he's not…_ Her thoughts trailed off. She liked Snotlout as a friend but dating him was just not the same. She hated it, but it was a necessary evil.

She was startled awake by her phone vibrating loudly on her night stand. She ignored it though, already knowing who it was. _I don't want to talk to him._ She closed her eyes and tried to block out the repeating vibrations as several more messages arrived on her phone. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter when she felt her throat getting soar and tears beginning to build.

_No! No crying. He's not worth it!_

Her eyes snapped open when the alert sound changed. It was audio of Ruff's laugh, which was a strange laugh indeed. Astrid forced herself to roll over and grab her phone, eliciting several gasps of pain from her clenched mouth.

Astrid unlocked her phone to see six messages from her father and one from Ruff. Ignoring her father, she opened the one from her friend.

**Ruff: Tuff and I are going to the park to prank some kids. You want to come and film us so we can put it on Vine?**

Astrid's mouth went up slightly at the crazy antics of the twins. They had so many followers on Vine and were considered one of the most popular Viners on the internet. And that was all due to the fact that they weren't afraid of trying anything.

**I can't. **Astrid texted back. Her mind raced as she tried to think up a lie. She could be seen now. She was a mess. She was in pain. **I have homework to finish and some chores to complete before I go to bed. **

Astrid sent the text, hoping her friend would buy it. _She needs to. If she doesn't, she come over and force me to go and that would be horrible. _

**Ruff: What! Lame! Homework is for lame people who want to be book smart. What kind of chores?**

Astrid chuckled lightly at Ruff's reply. She knew Ruff was kidding. The twins always do their homework. Granted, they do it quickly at home or in the morning before school starts but they do well enough to pass and be on teams.

**I have to weed my mother's garden. I've kind of let it go a bit these past couple days. **Astrid sighed at the thought of her mother's garden. She loved getting her hands dirty and growing fresh vegetables for the family to eat. Astrid's heart panged with sadness remembering.

**Ruff: Alright. Well, we'll see you at school tomorrow. Can't believe it's the last Friday of this month. Whoo-hoo! One month down, nine to go! Uuuggghhh!**

Astrid could hear Ruff's shoulder's slump and her face fall into a disappointed expression.

**Alright. See you. Scare some kids for me.**

**Ruff: Will do!**

Astrid placed the phone down on the night stand and fell back on the bed, once again groaning from the pain in her body. She had no idea how she was going to make through practice tomorrow. Or make it through her 'date' with Snotlout.

As she laid there, her phone kept taunting her. The longer she laid there, the more she felt guilty of avoiding her father's texts. She tried to think of something else to occupy her mind and decided to run through the facts needed for tomorrow's test in history.

Once again, her mind was interrupted by her phone vibrating on the night stand. She sat up in surprise, completely ignoring her crying body. She looked at her lit up phone to see seven missed texts. She reached out to pick up her phone but then stopped.

_I could just say that I was asleep and that I didn't get his texts until tomorrow._ She sighed and shook her head. _He'd say 'that's no excuse. You should have replied to me.'_

Reluctantly, she picked up the phone and slowly unlocked it. She hesitated once more before she opened the missed messages.

**About earlier, you didn't talk to me very well and we miss understood each other. **Astrid rolled her eyes. _Didn't talk to you? There was no talking. You were drunk!_

**(2) Answer me. We need to talk.**

**(3) Where are you? Why aren't you responding to me?**

**(4) See? This here is why you have strained our relationship. You refuse to apologize for what you did, you ungrateful little bitch!**

**(5) This behavior is uncalled for! I feed you, give you clothes, and you live in my house. You will respect me and respond!**

**(6) Ungrateful brat!**

**(7) I won't be home to late tomorrow morning sweetie. Don't wait up for me.**

Astrid's heart was racing. Her nerves were shot. She wanted to cry so badly but refused to give him that satisfaction; even if he didn't know about it. She couldn't understand what she had done to be treated like that, why he treated her like that. She didn't like it.

_Maybe I am ungrateful. Maybe he's right. I should text back something. Try to repair this damage._ She grabbed her phone and typed.

**Sorry I missed your texts. I was in the shower. See you tomorrow then.**

Once she sent it, she slowly got up and went to the bookshelf near her window and slipped her hand behind it. There she felt a book and pulled it out. She looked at the symbol printed on the front and smiled at the curled up blue and yellow spiked dragon.

She sat down on her bed and opened it to begin writing in her personal journal, her mind wandering to a happier time as she wrote about her horrible day.

* * *

_Astrid watched as the shops went by her window. She wasn't excited but at the same time she was. How could an eleven year old not be when moving to a new place? It wasn't that far of a move but it was enough to where she wouldn't be able to see her friends._

I'm sure Camicazi and Heather will miss me. _She thought. _I miss them. I wonder what kind of friends I'll make here.

_The truth was that she was worried. She had a hard time making friends. It's not that she was shy or anything but the exact opposite. She wasn't afraid to show people who she was. And she was a girl with a bit of a temper. Not very many kids her age liked hanging out with a girl who could snap at any minute._

_Her mom pulled up into the driveway of their new house. Astrid got out and looked at the two story, white, suburban house. Well, it would be suburban if she was in a large city. She looked at all of the other houses and saw they were pretty much of the same color and design. But the house across from hers was different. It had a more brown color with a green trim. Also, while everyone's front yards were cut cleanly, theirs was full of bushes and trees. It wasn't over grown or messy, but it looked like a personal forest. _

I wonder what the backyard looks like.

_"__Astrid!" her mother called. "Stop starring and help us unpack the car."_

_"__Ok," Astrid said as she opened the side door and began to grab her things. She took them inside and up to her room. Her room was almost set up. Her bed, drawers, and desk were there with a bookshelf that stood empty but the basics were already set up. All she had to do was unpack all of her boxes. She threw her suitcase on her bed and sighed._

I don't want to unpack right now.

_With that she walked down the stairs and through the door. She was about to leave the driveway when her dad asked, "Where are you going?"_

_"__I'm going to walk down the main street."_

_"__No you're not," he said. "There's unpacking to do and I'm not-"_

_"__Oh calm down dear," her mom interrupted. "It's a new place full of new things. She's excited. Let her go. Besides, the only thing we have to unpack for tonight are our clothes and bathroom stuff. We don't need her for that." She turned to Astrid and smiled. "You go and have fun. Be back by 5. Dinner should be ready by then._

_Astrid smiled back and started to walk away when she heard her mom say to her dad, "Oh stop grumbling! She'll be fine!"_

_Astrid walked down the street and turned the corner to the main street. She remembered seeing an ice cream shop somewhere but couldn't remember where it was. It was a bit chilly out but ice cream sounded good nonetheless. _

_She walked past a grocery store but stopped and back pedaled. She began to enter but decided to just stand in the doorway thinking that maybe she should ask for directions to the place._

I don't want my first impression being one of uselessness. I want everyone to know me as someone who can take care of herself. I don't need anyone.

_"__Um…excuse me," a soft voice said behind her._

_She turned to see a boy with green eyes, auburn hair, and a face full of freckles standing behind her. "What?"_

_"__I need to get in. Can I please get past?"_

_Astrid looked at him and he seemed uncertain and a bit scared talking to her. _Am I intimidating? Already?

_"__Sorry," she said as she stepped aside, trying to soften her expression as to not scare a potential friend away. But from the look on his face, she figured she could already scratch him off the 'possible friends' list._

_The boy past and continued to walk in as Astrid continued to stand and argue with herself to ask for help. She was too into her mental argument that she didn't notice the boy had stopped and walked back to her._

_"__Are you lost?" he asked._

_Astrid jumped and looked at the boy standing in front of her. She furled her eyebrows and said, "Don't startle people like that. And no, I'm not lost."_

_"__Are you sure? Looks like you were trying to decide to ask for help."_

_Astrid's look went from one of anger to one of surprise and shock. "How? How did you know that?"_

_"__I do it all the time," he said. He then looked at her more closely. "Are you new here? I don't recognize you."_

_"__Yeah," she said. "New and lost. How pitiful."_

_"__Not really," he said. "It's comes with the territory I think."_

_Astrid looked at the boy. _He didn't run away in fear when I snapped at him and he's still here talking to me. He's even making me not feel so bad about asking for help. _Astrid smiled and said, "Thanks."_

_"__No problem," he said. "So do you need help finding something?"_

_"__I was looking for the ice cream shop," Astrid said. "I saw one coming in but didn't take note of where it was."_

_"__Oh! You mean Gobber's Ice Cream Forge," the boy said. "I'll take you there."_

_"__Really?" she asked._

_"__Yeah. Ice cream sounds good. I just have to get something real quick," he said. _

_"__Ok. I'll be right here," she said. He left and before she knew it, he was back._

_"__You ready?" he asked._

_"__Yep."_

_Astrid and the boy walked out of the grocery together and headed down Main Street. Astrid didn't care if she was walking with a stranger because in all honesty, she could easily break his arm. But the real reason was that this boy wasn't turned away by her snapping at him._

_"__So…" the boy asked breaking the silence. "Do you want a tour on the way to Gobber's?"_

_"__Uh, sure," she shrugged. "Why not?"_

_"__Alright," the boy smiled. "Well, for starters, welcome to Berk-"_

_Astrid started laughing because the boy had changed his voice into one that sounded like a tour guide at National Park. "You're funny," she said. "Please keep going."_

_The boy continued with the same voice as Astrid grinned brightly the entire time. "We have just passed Viking Grocery. You can get your eggs, meat, and pretty much anything in there. To your left is Jo-Ann Fabrics for all of your sewing and patching needs. To our right is an, I don't know what you call it. A um, home decorating store? Anyway, at Helga's you can get anything from door signs to ornaments there."_

_He continued to show her the different stores and restaurants they passed. They passed a pet shop, a sit down restaurant, several more unique stores, and several offices that was dedicated to grownup stuff like taxes. _

_"__There's even a Wal-Mart," he said as he stopped walking. "But that's on the other side of town. Too far to walk."_

_"__Really?" Astrid asked surprised. "I thought it was too small for a Wal-Mart."_

_"__Nope," he said. "Berk is small but not that small. Anyway, here we are." He pointed to store behind him._

_They walked in and waited in line, which was pretty long._

_"__This place is popular," Astrid said._

_"__Yep," the boy said. "Gobber's the best with ice cream. He makes it himself. That's why the line is long."_

_"__Must be expensive."_

_"__Not really," the boy said. "He keeps it low because he knows that the kids come. Besides, he's more into the enjoyment of it all. This isn't his main business. Anyway, you said that you're new."_

_"__Yeah. Just came in today," Astrid said._

_"__What street do you live on now?"_

_"__Why? You want to stalk me?"_

_The boy's eyes went wide and his eyes darted. "No! No! I'm just curious."_

_Astrid laughed at his panicked reaction. "I was kidding. Um…we moved in on Chieftain Street."_

_The boy did a double take and looked at Astrid in shock. "You're the one who moved in across the street?"_

_"__What? You mean you live on Chieftain too?"_

_"__Yeah. I'm across from you. That's weird that I bumped into you."_

_"__You're the house with the bunch of trees and stuff?"_

_"__Yeah," the boy said as he rubbed his arm. "My mom likes giving birds and other animals a safe place to live. If you like the front, you should see the back."_

_"__Well," Astrid said. "If I'm going to keep running into you, I guess I should know your name."_

_The boy smiled and said, "My name is-_

Astrid's trip down memory lane was interrupted when she heard a familiar pop of a car. She quickly ran across her room and turned her lights off. A second later, she watched as car, in much need of maintenance, pulled up into her driveway.

_Lying bastard. _She seethed as she watched her drunken father waddle out of the car. He swung the door closed but didn't notice that it had swung back open. She grinned happily. _I hope something gets stolen. Like the car. _

She quickly jumped into bed and pulled the covers over her shoulders and wrapped them tight around herself. She waited as she heard him enter the house, stomp up the stairs, and his dragging feet stop at her door. Her heart raced as she heard him open her door and turn on her light. She let out a few fake groans and moved a little, giving the illusion she reacted slightly to the light. He mumbled something and turned off the light and left the room.

Astrid relaxed and let out a breath of relief. Her heart rate began to slow down as she set her phone alarms for school the next morning. _I have a lot of pretending to do tomorrow._

* * *

I hope no one was confused about the transition between the flashback and the current events. If so, please let me know and I will try to help distinguish the difference in the future.


	6. Chapter 6

Here's the next chapter. :D

If anyone is curious, how they look in the present timeline is how they look in Race to the Edge. The yard in high school so they're 17-18-ish.

ENJOY! XD

* * *

Hiccup smiled as he handed a cone to the little girl. "Enjoy." The girl smiled up at him and hopped in excitement as she began to eat the frozen treat.

He liked working in Gobber's Ice Cream Forge. It had a pleasant atmosphere, nice people, a rewarding feeling, and not to mention some of the best ice cream ever. There were the regulars that came in everyday and talked with him when he was free. There were newbies who had just discovered the shop and fell in love with it quite quickly. Here, Hiccup observed the positive side of people.

Hiccup went to the back to retrieve the recent costumer's order. When he came back, he almost had a heart attack. Through the door, entered Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Astrid.

"Here's your ice cream ma'am," Hiccup smiled politely. "Enjoy."

Hiccup's attention was once again grabbed by the group of teens as they sat in a corner booth. He was terrified that Astrid would see him, and she did. He watched her get up and walk towards the counter, making eye contact with him.

The second their eyes met, their faces drained of color. _She can't be here. I can't be here. Shit if he finds out then…_ Hiccup turned and went into the back. He walked up to the girl in the back. "Hey Carol. Can you watch the front for a second? I need to deal with something in storage."

"Sure," she smiled. She dried her hands and walked to the front, taking Astrid's order immediately. Next to him, the machine came to life with the order for the entire group. He sighed and began to make the orders, all the while remembering the first time he and Astrid hung out at the shop.

_ "__My name is Hiccup," he said, answering the girl's question._

_The blond girl cocked an eyebrow and looked at him in doubt. "Hiccup? As in the involuntary reflex?"_

_Hiccup blinked twice in shock. "Uh. Yeah."_

_"__You seemed shocked that I knew that?" the girl observed. She crossed her arms over her chest as she asked, "Did you think I was stupid?"_

_"__No! No!" Hiccup quickly said as they moved forward in the line. "It's just that most people refer to it as mistake or runt."_

_"__Really?" the girl asked confused. "They went with the harder definitions of a hiccup instead of the obvious one? Their minds must be in overdrive or something."_

_Hiccup laughed. "You're pretty funny yourself." He sighed sadly. "No, they just know me well."_

_"__I don't understand."_

_"__You will probably find out soon." They moved up again in the line as the two stood in awkward silence. "So," Hiccup suddenly blurted out making the girl jump. "you have my name but I don't have yours."_

_"__Oh," the girl said and smiled apologetically. "My name is Astrid."_

_Hiccup immediately liked the name. "Astrid?"_

_"__Yeah. Is something wrong with it?"_

_"__No. It's very pretty," Hiccup said. He looked at Astrid who was smiling at him._

_"__Thanks."_

_"__You're welcome," Hiccup smiled back. "Did you know that an astrid is a flower? Or that in Norse it means Divine Beauty? Or that…" he looked at Astrid who stared at him neutrally. "Sorry. My nerdy side is showing."_

_"__I like it when you ramble," she said. Hiccup smiled in appreciation at her. "So…um…if it isn't a touchy subject…how did you get the name Hiccup?"_

_"__Oh. Um. It's not touchy or anything. Apparently, my mother couldn't think of a name for me and neither could my father. They said they called me Hiccup because from the moment I was born I wouldn't stop hiccupping. Mom just decided to call me Hiccup for that reason. She says that the moment they named me, I stopped hiccupping."_

_Astrid laughed heartily. "That's a funny story."_

_"__I know you don't believe it but-"_

_"__No," Astrid interrupted. "It's too farfetched to be made up. I believe that's what happened."_

_Hiccup smiled that she believed it. _No one else has. They just think I'm trying to come up with a different reason for my name besides runt._ "What's your name's story?"_

_"__My mom's favorite flowers are astrids. So she named me Astrid."_

_"__So you already knew the flower fact," Hiccup said sheepishly. "Well, I probably look like a fool."_

_"__No. Most people don't know that astrids are flowers. Well more of asters but that sounded like a guy name so my mother with something more girlish. I'm glad someone else besides my family knows that fact."_

_"__Next," Gobber hollered. Hiccup and Astrid walked up to the counter. "Oh! Hey Hiccup. Didn't expect to see you today." He looked at Astrid. "Who's your friend?"_

_"__Gobber. This is Astrid," Hiccup introduced. "Astrid. Gobber."_

_"__Hello sir," Astrid said._

_"__There's no sir around her lass. Just call me Gobber," he corrected. "I haven't seen you here before."_

_"__She's new," Hiccup said. "I'm just showing her around."_

_"__Well! Welcome to Berk!"_

_"__Thanks," Astrid smiled._

_"__So what will it be you two?"_

_"__You go ahead," Hiccup said. "I'm still deciding."_

_Astrid looked at all of the flavors. There were so many and a few she never thought couldn't exist. Pistachio? Really? "I'll go with Rocky Road."_

_"__Alright. How about you Hiccup?"_

_"__I'll go with Mint Chocolate Chip."_

_"__Mint and Rocky Road," Gobber said as he moved to the back. A few seconds later he came back with two cones and handed them to Hiccup and Astrid._

_Astrid moved her hand to her pocket to retrieve money to pay him. "How much?"_

_"__Nu uh," Gobber shook his head. "First time here and new to town, it's on the house." He saw Hiccup reaching into his pocket and quickly said, "You too. Your father gave me too much last time. It's also on the house."_

_Hiccup paused and looked at Gobber in uncertainty. "Are you sure?"_

_"__Yes. Now go and eat the ice cream before it melts."_

_"__Thank you," Astrid smiled._

_Hiccup led her to one of the tables by the window and they sat down._

_"__So, it seems like you know Gobber pretty well," Astrid said._

_"__He's a friend of the family," Hiccup shrugged._

_"__Do you come here a lot?"_

_"__No. Maybe once a month. Sometime two. Mom likes the ice cream."_

_"__He said your father gave him too much. What does that mean?"_

_"__Dad doesn't like it when Gobber comps us so when he's over, he slips money into his wallet. Dad thinks he's being sly but Gobber always knows it's him and continues to comp us for the money. It's an endless cycle."_

_"__Sound like you guys are close."_

_"__Yeah," Hiccup smiled remembering the nights when Gobber comes over for dinner and other stuff. "So what brings you to Berk?"_

_"__I don't know," Astrid shrugged. "My dad said something about a new job or what not. He never tells us any details he just 'hey pack your things we're moving.'"_

_"__And I thought my dad was hard to read sometimes," Hiccup said. "Are you happy with the move though? I mean besides having to leave everything behind."_

_"__I was very angry at first but then got excited. I like new things sometimes. It's good to have change every once in a while or you get bored out of your mind."_

_"__So, no worries about coming to Berk?"_

_"__I had one but after meeting you, I don't think that will be a problem."_

_Hiccup did a double take. "I solved a problem and didn't cause one? I think hell just froze over."_

_Astrid laughed again. "Why do you think you cause problems?"_

_"__I'm kind of a klutz. I seem to trip over nothing. Every time I try to help with something, it ends up breaking or something. I have quite a reputation."_

_"__I haven't seen you trip once since I met you," Astrid pointed out._

_Hiccup's eyes went wide with surprise. "You're right. Wow, this is a record. You must be my lucky charm or something."_

_"__I'm anything but lucky," Astrid smiled. "But maybe this place will be good for me. So far, I've had a pretty good new start."_

_Hiccup raised his cone. The ice cream had been eaten down past the top of the cone on both of theirs during their chatting. "Here's to a new start."_

_Astrid smiled and raised her cone. "To a new start." _

_The two hit each other's cones as if they were toasting with glasses. They looked at each other then laughed at their silly movement._

_"__Well," a voice said behind Hiccup. Hiccup stopped laughing, his eyes went wide, and his face fell into fear. "If it isn't the mistake having fun."_

_"__And with a girl," another said._

_Astrid looked around Hiccup and watched as two older boys walk up to them. They didn't look like they were more than a year older than them but they were already big in height._

_"__Who's your friend?" the red head asked. Hiccup didn't answer right away and he got mad. "Answer me!" he said forcefully as he turned Hiccup towards him._

_"__You didn't give me a chance to answer Dagur," Hiccup said._

_"__He gave you plenty of time," the heavy set boy with black hair stated._

_"__You gave him a second," Astrid said._

_"__You be quiet," the dark haired boy said. "Dagur is talking with the mistake."_

_"__I'll ask you again," Dagur seethed. "Who's your friend?"_

_"__Her name is Astrid," Hiccup said._

_"__Ooh. Astrid," Dagur hummed as he let Hiccup's shirt go. "A nice name." He turned to Astrid as he got close to her and got in her face. "Now what are you doing with him?"_

_"__I don't have to explain myself to you," Astrid said confidently._

_"__Ooh! You're feisty," Dagur said. He turned to the dark haired boy and smiled mischievously. "But we can fix that now can't we Bobby?"_

_"__Sure can," Bobby said as he cracked his knuckles. _

_"__So," Dagur said turning back to Astrid. "Answer my question. I don't want to harm your pretty face."_

_"__Don't you even think about touching her," Hiccup said as he got up and pulled Dagur away from Astrid. Dagur looked at Hiccup with an unbelievable expression which quickly turned into a scowl. _Oh, why do I keep getting myself into these situations?

_"__Did you just touch me?" Dagur asked as he took a step towards Hiccup._

_Hiccup took a step back in fear but ran into an obstacle. He turned to see that he had run into Bobby who quickly kept him in place by grabbing onto his arms. Dagur continued to step forward in a menacing way._

_"__Did you just touch me?" Dagur asked again, towering over Hiccup's small form._

_"__Yes," Hiccup said quietly._

_"__Do you know what happens when mistakes touch me?"_

_Astrid watched as the scene progressed. She had never seen something like this. She didn't know what to do. She really didn't want to get into a fight the first day she was in Berk but she knew that wouldn't happen when Dagur raised his hand into a fist and Hiccup flinched in expectation._

_Dagur raised his hand to strike Hiccup. "I make them regret the day they were born!" _

_Hiccup closed his eyes and prepared for the blow which would follow but it never came. Dagur went to swing but couldn't move his arm. He looked back to see a small hand gripping tightly around his wrist._

_"__You hit him and I'll make you regret the day you were born," Astrid said sternly._

_Behind Bobby, Hiccup heard someone get out of their seat and run around the wall to the counter._

_Dagur looked at Astrid in surprise then smiled wickedly. "You have no idea who you're dealing with girl. I can bring you great pain. Just ask the mistake."_

_"__You don't know who you're dealing with and his name is Hiccup."_

_Dagur pulled his arm out of her grasp and turned to her. He raised himself to his full height, which was a half a foot taller than Astrid but she wasn't intimidated._

_"__I'd like to see you try and stop me from hurting you or the mistake," Dagur sneered. He raised a fist and swung at Astrid._

_"__No!" Hiccup yelled as he struggled against Bobby's grip._

_Astrid dodged the swing and grabbed Dagur's wrist and Judo flipped him on his back. She then placed a foot on his chest and bent down slightly towards Dagur's body._

_"__As I said, you don't know who you're dealing with." Astrid looked up at Bobby and threatened, "If you don't let him go, you'll end up like your friend."_

_Bobby quickly let Hiccup go. Well, more like pushed him towards Astrid making him stumble. Astrid moved her foot off of Dagur to catch Hiccup before he hit the table. Meantime, Dagur slowly and painfully got up off the floor._

_"__I suggest you get out of here before I break one of your bones," Astrid sneered at them. Dagur and Bobby turned on their heels and ran out of the ice cream shop._

_"__Wow,' Hiccup said. "I've never seen them exit anywhere so fast."_

_"__Are you ok?" Astrid asked._

_"__Yeah," Hiccup said embarrassed. He released himself from Astrid's grip as to straighten his shirt. "Thanks to you. You saved me from a black eye."_

_"__You mean he's hit you before?"_

_"__Yeah. I'm sort of used to it by now."_

_"__And he hasn't gotten in trouble?"_

_"__Once by the school principle so now he keeps it outside of school."_

_"__Your parents don't do anything about it?"_

_"__They tell his parents but they are pretty much nonexistent. They don't care."_

_"__What's going on?" Gobber asked as he rounded the corner._

_"__They were about to get into a fight," a dark haired boy said._

_"__Astrid and Hiccup?" Gobber asked confused._

_"__No," the boy said. "There were two other boys."_

_"__Who?"_

_"__Dagur and Bobby I think their names were," Astrid said._

_"__Where are they?" Gobber asked, his face scowling in anger._

_"__Astrid scared them off," Hiccup explained._

_"__So there wasn't a fight?"_

_"__Thanks to Astrid, not like before," Hiccup said._

_"__Well," Gobber sighed. "Thank you Astrid." He turned to the dark haired boy and said gratefully, "Thank you Gustav for coming to get me."_

_"__No problem," Gustav smiled and went back to his seat._

_"__I'm so sorry about those two," Gobber said. "Are you two ok?"_

_"__I'm fine," Astrid said. _

_"__Yeah," Hiccup nodded._

_Gobber nodded satisfied. He then shook his head in annoyance, "What a way to welcome you to Berk." Gobber turned and walked back to his customers._

_Hiccup turned to Astrid and smiled weakly. He avoided eye contact as he spoke. "So yeah. Um…I'm sure you'll want to be as far away from me as possible after that."_

_Astrid laughed. "And here I thought you wouldn't want to be around me."_

_Hiccup looked at her puzzled. "Why?"_

_"__Because I flipped a boy bigger than me," she said nervously. "I figured you'd see me as terrifying and run like every other person who's seen me do something like that."_

_"__In honesty," Hiccup said. "It would be opposite. I'd never leave you side."_

_They looked at each other for a moment then broke out laughing again. The mood was no longer thick enough that you could cut it with a knife and was now back to a free and comfortable atmosphere._

_"__We should probably go," Hiccup said. "I have to get back for dinner."_

_Astrid looked at the clock on the wall and her heart jumped at the time. "It's 4:30? I need to get back too. I promised mom I'd be back by 5."_

_Astrid and Hiccup left the shop and headed down Main Street toward Chieftain Street. Before they got very far, a question nagged at the back of Astrid's mind that refused to stay down._

_"__Why did Dagur call you a mistake?" Astrid asked. She watched as his face fall and squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I wouldn't tell a stranger something like that either."_

_"__No, it's fine," Hiccup said. "I just don't like it when he calls me that."_

_"__You don't have to tell me."_

_"__It's funny," Hiccup said. "I'm very comfortable telling you even though I've only known you for a short while. Is that weird?"_

_"__Yes and no."_

_"__Dagur calls me that because his family believes that only the strong will survive. They believe that those who are small and weak shouldn't exist. Dagur sees me as a mistake to humanity."_

_"__That's horrible," Astrid said. "His family's messed up."_

_Hiccup rolled his eyes and nodded, "Tell me about it."_

_As they entered their street and walked towards their houses, Astrid's mom came out to retrieve something out of the car._

_"__Well…um…here we are," Hiccup said. "Berk's a pretty small place. It'll get even smaller the longer you're here."_

_"__Thanks for the tour Hiccup," Astrid said. "See you around." She walked across the street waving to Hiccup and he waved back._

_"__See you!" he called and entered his leafy covered walkway._

Hiccup slide the tray to Carol who in turn handed it to Astrid. The two of them made eye contact for a split second, Astrid smiling gently at him.

He walked back into the back area, waiting for her to rejoin her group. He sighed, relieved that the close encounter was avoided. He looked around the corner, intending to commence work in the front when he saw her walking back up to the counter.

He slinked back into hiding, wondering why she was coming back. _Did I mess up an order? _He went through himself making the ice cream, trying to remember if he forgot something. _I can't remember but knowing my luck, I did._

"Hiccup," Carol interrupted.

Hiccup jumped, knocking over a stack of napkins. "Aggh! Carol!" he held his heart. "What?" he asked calmly.

"A customer wanted me to give you this tip," she held out a five dollar bill.

"Um..ok," Hiccup smiled uncertainly. "Thanks. I'll split it with you."

Carol smiled brightly. "You are too kind Hiccup."

Hiccup smiled and motioned with his head back to the front. "You can take over for a while if you want."

"That's ok," Carol shook her head. "I like washing dishes."

Hiccup nodded as she walked past him. He looked at the five and rubbed it between his fingers. To him something felt off about it. It felt thicker than a normal five. He unfolded the bill to see a small piece of paper folded in the middle.

**Sorry. Cove? 10?**

Hiccup smiled as he put the paper in his pocket. He walked back to the front counter just as the group of teens exited the shop.

* * *

I hope you guys understood the difference between the flashback and the current story. I just feel like it can be confusing at times.


	7. Chapter 7

Here's the next chapter! I hadn't realized that this one was so long but I think it gets a lot across. This will probably be the longest chapter of the story. So sorry ahead of time. :/

To the guest reviewer: There is more to Astrid's pretend dating. She's not dating him because they should be together to be the 'perfect couple'. I promise there is more to it than that. Wwaaayyyy more. A really dark side to it. I'm not trying to be cliché, I promise. So if in the end, it is, I'm sorry ahead of time but I don't think this explanation has been done before.

Nonetheless.

ENJOY!

* * *

Astrid was on a date with him again. He had taken her to Denny's for the cheapness of it but also for the seclusion. Not that they were the only ones in the restaurant but that there were fewer people than say, IHOP.

He had seen that Astrid was in a negative mood all day but they had still planned on going out so he chose somewhere where there would be less noise. He did notice, however, that this type of behavior always accompanied her baggy sweats. She wore them once in a while but when she did, she was in a sour mood all day. He also knew to keep a smart distance and try not to aggravate her too much.

"What are you going to get babe?" Snotlout smiled.

"Probably just a bowl of soup. Maybe a salad," Astrid said uncaring. "I'm not really hungry."

"Alright," Snotlout nodded. "Whatever you want babe."

"Stop it Snotlout," Astrid spoke strongly.

"Stop what?"

"Stop calling me babe. I don't like it."

"Ok bab-" Astrid glared at him sternly. He swallowed nervously and corrected himself. "Ok. I won't. I won't."

Snotlout returned to the menu and pretended to read. They remained silent until they ordered then went back to their own thoughts. The atmosphere was so stressed that a bridged could have collapsed from it. From above the counters, the TV blared a new flash that grabbed both of their attentions.

**Once again a strange substance has begun to terrorize people of all ages everywhere in Archipelago. Last night, three preteens and two young adults were found acting strangely. They were arrested and tested for drugs, which authorities believed they were on. However, when tested, medics found no trace of marijuana or cocaine but instead a strange substance in their blood stream.**

**Scientists have linked it to a substance similar to one that was found in victims several years ago. They believe that whoever was responsible for distributing that to people has improved on it and plans on spreading it even more. **

**The question remains however, how did these kids get this 'drug'. Most of them have never heard of drugs and others had shown complete and utter distaste for such things. Including smoking. When the victims were asked, once out of their dazed state, they all had the same story. They were attacked and stabbed with a needle.**

"Wow," Snotlout scoffed. "Archipelago is getting a bit dangerous don't you think?"

"Yeah," Astrid nodded. "I just hope it doesn't happen here."

**People have turned to Senator Bludvist about the new drug, the attacks, and wonders if will get out of hand.**

** "****Ladies and gentlemen," Senator Bludvist raised his hands to calm the crowd. "I know that you all are alarmed by these recent events. I am too. But I have been assured that the young victims are healthy and are on their way home."**

** "****Senator!" a reporter asked. "Are we safe from these attackers? What can we do to keep ourselves safe?"**

** "****There has been no evidence of struggle on any of the victims. Police have looked into it and said that there was no foul play. However, they are not saying that the victims are lying. The police suggest that maybe they all touched something that had this new substance and accidently ingested it.** **I suggest that all of us use extreme caution and wash our hands everytime we touch something. It's the only way to fight this invisible foe."**

**The Senator says we have to just apply extreme sanitation to protect ourselves but could there be more to the story? Were the victims really attacked? If so, by whom? I'm Valarie Johnson and we'll be back after these messages.**

"Ok," Snotlout shook his head. "I know I'm not exactly bright but even I seen several holes in that. Not attacked? And they all said the same thing happened to them."

"It's very strange indeed," Astrid nodded.

"I don't trust that Bludvist guy. He gives me the creeps."

"Seems like we agree on something."

**Now to other news. The Archipelago term for Senator is coming to a close and new candidates have stepped up to the challenge. Once again, Senator Bludvist will be re-running for the third time in a row.**

"What a shock," Snotlout mumbled. "He always wins."

"Yep," Astrid agreed. "Seems as if all other contenders just drop out of the race for some reason making him the only candidate."

"I seriously doubt anyone will beat him out this time."

**Joining the race for Senator this year is Governor Stoick Haddock of Berk.**

Both Astrid and Snotlout snapped their heads back to the screen in shock. "What?!"

**Four time governor of Berk, Governor Haddock as decided to spread his skills to the entire Archipelago. He believes that we need a new face, new ideas, and a new plan. Governor Haddock promises to do his best to turn the Archipelago around and make it safer for all who live in it.**

**Given the improvements seen in Berk, there may be hope for this new challenger. The real question is, how long until he too drops out of the race?**

"Uncle Stoick is running for Senator?" Snotlout asked out loud. **"**When did this happen?"

"I don't know," Astrid said still starring at the screen. "But I think Drago is going to lose this time."

* * *

Hiccup was sitting at the bar I the kitchen when Stoick entered the house. He continued to do his homework as his father walked in and began to make a sandwich.

"Hey dad," Hiccup glanced up for a second.

"Hi son," Stoick nodded. "How was your day?"

"Eh?" Hiccup shrugged. "Ok I guess. Just the normal boring school day, interesting observing at practice, and working at the auto shop."

"That's normal?" Stoick's eyes widened. "I know you do a lot but that's incredible."

Hiccup smiled sheepishly. "Thanks dad. So um-how was your day?"

"It was fine. Just a lot of paper work."

"Fine?!" Hiccup exclaimed. He looked his father straight on and smiled. "You announced that you're running for senator! That's something big!"

Stoick shrugged. "I guess. I was planning on running a few years ago but I decided not too."

"Why?" Hiccup questioned.

Stoick looked at Hiccup somberly, his eyes clouding over with sadness. "Because of your mother."

Hiccup's face fell too, understanding where his father was coming from. "Oh. I see."

"I buried myself in my work and in the process lost my desire to run and almost missed out on you growing up. I still feel like I have," Stoick sighed as he slowly turned around to put the ingredients of his sandwich away.

"So what changed your mind?"

"The reappearance of this drug again. Drago said that he dealt with it last time but apparently he hasn't. He's going to promise the same thing again and it's not going to get done."

"Yeah," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Seems like most politicians do that." Stoick cocked an eyebrow as he eyed his son. Hiccup noticed and threw his hands in the air defensively. "I said most dad. You're not most. You're actually one of the very few who do follow through with your promises."

"Is that honesty or my son talking?"

"Both."

Stoick relaxed as he sat down across from Hiccup. "I also decided to run because of you."

Hiccup did a double take. His eye squinted, nose scrunched, and his mouth formed an 'o' shape. "Me?"

"Yes," Stoick nodded. "I don't want this drug thing to get out of hand. If your theory is true about people being attacked at random, then you're at risk. I'm going to do anything in my power to ensure that you aren't hurt."

Hiccup smiled sweetly. It was rare that he and his father talked like this. "Thanks. I appreciate it. Really."

"I don't think I could live if I lost you too."

Hiccup was taken aback by his father's words. "What?"

Stoick looked at his son tiredly. "When I lost Val, it nearly killed me. The only reason I remained sane was because of you. I had something, some_one_ to live for. If I lost you, well…"

Hiccup grabbed his dad's hand. "I'm not going anywhere. You want to have Gobber trail me so I don't get hurt?"

Stoick smiled. "There's no need for that. Just be extra careful when you go places by yourself."

"When am I not careful?" Hiccup asked. Stoick cocked an eyebrow menacingly. "Um-don't answer that." Hiccup went back to his homework, trying to avoid Stoick's stare.

* * *

Dagur walked through his front door and slammed it shut, as was his usual greeting. "I home!" He hollered.

"Dagur!" his father snapped in a gentle way. "In here now."

Dagur was taken aback to hear his father's voice. He'd been between hospitals and work that he hadn't been home a lot. Dagur walked into the messy living room and saw that his father was cleaning the room. He picked up beer cans, chips bags, soda bottles, and other junk food related items. His father looked up and saw him standing in the doorway.

"Well don't just stand there!" his father demanded. "Grab a bag and start picking up this garbage."

"Why should I?" Dagur defied. He didn't like picking up after himself. That's what weaklings and nerds were for.

His father looked at him in disbelief. He eyes him with a ferocity but kept his voice even but powerful. "Because I am your father and I told you too. You're not out from under this roof yet and therefore you will earn your keep. You've been doing a very bad job at doing that apparently."

"Mom says that we can have the house any way we want," Dagur argued.

"Yes your mother may have said that but this is ridiculous! This isn't just leaving around a few pieces of trash! This is a pig sty! An unhealthy living place. As the older sibling, you should have taken care of this place. It's your responsibility! What about your sister's health?"

Dagur's heart twisted at the mention of his sister. He cared for her. She was probably the only person he would care for. His mother was nonexistent and so was his father. They weren't there to help raise them and Dagur didn't want to grow up too quickly. He didn't want to be the man of the house just yet but the way he was raised left him angry at his parents. It was mostly his mother. His father worked to provide money which she used most of on herself and never on him or his sister. At a very young age, he realized if his sister was to survive, if he was going to survive in this kind of environment, he would have to change his ways. So he took to being a bully and taking money from nerds and people younger than him.

After a while, it no longer turned into survival but a way of life. He enjoyed the way the nerds cried and ran to their parents or to teachers. He enjoyed their pain and believed it was only right to have them feel a bit of the pain he felt. He later learned from his mother the philosophy he now lives by: only the strong survive and the weak are mistakes of humanity. He took that to heart and made it his motto to live by. He needed to be strong for himself and his sister and everyone else was just a means to achieve that.

He beat up and harassed and bullied many nerds and weaklings but Hiccup was an interesting one. He didn't beg him to stop. He wanted to know why he was doing it. He didn't tell anyone about the bullying until someone else saw it and Dagur kept to outside of school. Even then, Hiccup never cried, never gave in, and never tattled. He was different from the other nerds and weaklings. This one had some guts, some courage and it fascinated him. He wanted to break Hiccup and for years, he hadn't been able to. The confrontations soon turned into a hope that maybe if Dagur was able to mold him into someone strong, that he could see and respect Hiccup as a friend and a brother.

"Davina is fine," Dagur rolled his eyes in fake annoyance. "She's perfectly healthy."

"For now. But what if she grabs something from the kitchen that's molded or has been touched by a rat?! I saw one in the living room a few minutes ago! I don't even want to think what's in the kitchen."

Dagur sighed. He had to admit his father was right about the place. It was very unsanitary. It was very understandable as to why his sister didn't want to come home. Hell, he didn't.

"Will you get off of my case if I go and get Davina and we help you clean up the place?" Dagur whined.

"Yes," his father nodded. "And after that, I will take the two of you out for a good dinner as a reward."

"Really?" Dagur cocked an eyebrow in doubt.

"Yes," his father nodded. "I'm not called Oswald the Agreeable for no reason."

Dagur turned around and walked up the stairs, doing his best not to trip over any of the clothes his mother just dropped there when she came home drunk. He approached his sister's door and opened it. He was very surprised to see that his sister was giggling in the corner and completely out of the norm.

"Davina," Dagur said in a strong tone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just enjoying myself in my little world," she smiled. "You should join me. Mom and dad are very caring and you are the most popular boy in school and the most feared. You are loved by all and I'm a princess with you as the chief of Berk. It's the perfect life."

Dagur shook his head in confusion. He heard his sister ramble before on what she wished their life was like. She wished mom and dad were there more and more caring. She wished that Dagur was liked more and that they were royalty.

Davina then got up and grabbed a paper plate with food still on it and placed it on her head, the food now seeping into her hair. She then grabbed two mismatched pairs of shoes from the hallway and put them on, making her three inches taller.

"Come one Dagur!" she giggled. "Dance with the princess of Berk! Dance with me!" She grabbed his hands and began to twirl him around but he was able to get out from her grip only to watch her continue to twirl. "Isn't this fun?"

_Doesn't she not notice that I'm not longer there? _Dagur watched in curiosity as she continued to dance. She then wobbled on the high heels and twisted her ankle making her fall and hit her head on the bed. Dagur rushed to her side and found that she was laughing as if nothing had happened.

"Seems as if it's midnight and we've had too much champagne. It was so much fun. What do you want to do now my chief?"

Dagur looked his sister up and down and saw that on her leg was large bluish-black mark, never seen on her leg before. He looked closer and remembered the news he heard over the last few days. He began to panic but kept a calm face for his sister.

"How about you go sing in the shower and call your animal friends then ask them to come down and help your chief and your king in cleaning the castle before we go out for a royal feast? Would you like that?" Dagur asked playing to her delusional side.

"Oh yes! I will do just that!" She got up and began to peel off her clothes and jumped into the shower. As she sang in the shower, he pulled out his phone and called the police.

"911. What's your emergency?"

"I'm calling to report another victim of the mysterious drug," Dagur glanced to the bathroom door.

* * *

She ran out the door fast. She didn't care that her father was yelling at her to come back. She didn't want to. She didn't want to hear what he had to say. She didn't want to be in the house with him. She just wanted to be free of that prison. It had gotten too tight, too constricting, too horrible.

Astrid ran down the street and towards the forest. She zigzagged between trees and boulders until she felt safe and free to breathe. Her bucket of emotions then got to her and she weakly slunk down to the floor, resting against a giant tree trunk.

She wanted to cry…again, but she refused too. She wasn't going to let him get to her. Let him win. Crying was weak and too girly…right? _That's what he always says. _She balled up a fist of grass and threw it in anger.

Astrid gave up trying to be tough and just rested her head on her folded arms and just soaked in the peace and serenity of the sun lit forest. The beams of the afternoon shining through and warming Astrid's body where it made contact with her.

She jumped slightly when a soft stab of claws shot up her arm. She looked up to see a sparrow standing there, chirping pleasantly. "You still remember me huh?" She smiled as she gazed at the lovely bird in fond memory.

_Astrid threw herself on her bed in exhaustion and boredom. She had been stuck in her room for the past four days unpacking her room. She hadn't been allowed to step outside once until she had completed her task._

Geez, dad. What a way to make a child feel like a prisoner. _Astrid thought as she rolled over._

_Despite what her father said, her mother allowed her to go outside with the excuse of 'taking the trash out' or 'putting the empty boxes away'. She loved that her mother did that but now she had a very big itch to do something besides be in the house._

_She thought of something to do but didn't know what was around town. Yes, Hiccup showed her Main Street but those were just some business, not family entertainment stuff like a movie theater, a bowling alley or something. She sighed knowing that even if there was something, her dad would say no because both her mom and dad still had a lot to unpack. She would volunteer to help but her dad would never let her near his things. 'They're too precious for young hands' he'd say._

_She groaned in frustration. _I guess this is a major down side to moving. I don't know what things to do. I don't know any hang out spots and I don't have anyone to hang out with._ She then shook her head in disagreement. She had a friend. Right?_

_She then sat up, hearing a car door close. She went to her window and pulled the curtains back. A giant smile spread across her face as she watched Hiccup get out of the car carrying a bag of groceries. She turned, just missing the other person getting out of the car, and ran downstairs in excitement._

Maybe Hiccup would like to hang out with me. I still hope I didn't scare him away the other day, despite what he said.

_"__Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" her dad hollered as she barreled past the room he was unpacking in. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"_

_"__I'm going across the street to see if Hiccup wants to play."_

_"__This Hiccup. He's a boy right?"_

_"__Yes," Astrid answered uncertainly. "Is something wrong?"_

_"__Yes," her father said matter of factly. "He's a boy and you're a girl. I'm not going to have you hanging out with some boy without supervision. He could do something to you."_

_"__Like what?" Astrid asked innocently._

_"__Like…" he started but then stopped to scold her. "It doesn't matter. You don't talk back to me missy. If I say you won't be with him…"_

_"__Harold?" Astrid's mother popped her head in. "What's going on?"_

_"__Dad says that I can't go ask Hiccup to play because he's a boy," Astrid explained._

_Astrid's mother walked all the way in and playfully put her hands on her hips and shook her head at her husband. "Harold. Stop being so paranoid. She can take care of herself. Besides, the boy seems quite nice and he's the first person she's met since she's gotten here. He can probably introduce her to new people."_

_"__Emily," Harold sighed back. "How can I be a good parent if you keep going back on my decisions. I don't want her to be playing with a stranger without supervision."_

_"__This is Berk," Emily stated back. "Not Meridian. It's a small town with a very tight community not a large city with perverts around every corner. She'll be safe. I've already had several parents come to me and say that this neighborhood in particular is the safest because they all look out for each other. She'll be safe." She then turned to Astrid and smiled. "You go have fun with your new friend."_

_Astrid smiled back. "Thanks mom." She then turned to her dad and said, "I'll be fine dad. Don't worry."_

_Astrid wasn't too far out of the door when she heard her parents arguing about how their different parenting strategies are making it hard for him to establish respect with Astrid but she didn't care at the moment. Astrid was just happy to get out of the house and see Hiccup again._

_Astrid walked up the driveway but had a hard time trying to find the pathway to the door because of all of the vegetation. When she found it, she had to push some branches away as she proceeded with her journey. She couldn't believe how thick it was. It felt like she was going through a jungle and was no longer in suburban Berk but nonetheless, it was beautiful. _

_She finally made it to the door. It was a large door, much larger than her door, with an intricate design carved into the dark wood that made it seem like it had been there for a long time. She looked back at the forest behind her to see that her house was completely blocked from the makeshift jungle but went to knock anyway._

_Her hand hit the door but it felt too soft. _Funny. I thought wood was supposed to be hard._ She looked back at the door thinking maybe she hit something else and jumped back in surprise. In front of her was a very tall and large man. He had long red hair tied back in a small ponytail and his long thick beard of the same color was tied neatly together in several braids. His green eyes looked at her with curiosity and confusion. He was wearing a nice black suit with a green shirt and brown tie, looking very sharp. That was the only reason Astrid didn't run away scared to death. Wouldn't any eleven year old._

_"__Yes miss," the man said._

_Astrid regained her composure and began to apologize. "I'm so sorry. I didn't hear the door open. I didn't mean to hit you sir."_

_"__No worries," the man said. "What can I do for you?"_

_Astrid looked at the man and began to doubt herself. _Do I have the right house? This man can't be related to Hiccup. _"Um…" Astrid said nervously. "I was wondering if Hiccup's here?" The man cocked a curious eyebrow. "I met him the other day and he said he lived across the street from me."_

_"__Oh!" the man exclaimed. He then chuckled a little as he smiled. "You're the girl from across the street? He's been talking nonstop about you. You definitely made an impression on him."_

_"__Yeah. I moved in a few days ago."_

_"__I forgot your name miss," the man said. "Hiccup said it once but I forgot."_

_"__It's Astrid sir," she smiled._

_"__Astrid," the man nodded as he turned into his house and hollered. "Hiccup! Astrid's here to see you."_

_Astrid didn't have to wait very long before she heard footsteps running down the stairs. In a matter of moments, Hiccup's small frame appeared from under the man's arm. When he saw her, he beamed widely._

_"__Astrid! How are you?"_

_"__Good."_

_"__What's up?"_

_"__I was wondering if it was alright for you to go and do something today. I've been itching to get out of the house."_

_Hiccup looked up at the man and he nodded with a small smile. "You can go." Hiccup beamed even wider and stepped out of the house. "Don't forget to be back by 3. Your mother should be home and I'm sure you don't want to miss what she's bringing back this time."_

_"__I won't forget," Hiccup said as the two began to walk away._

_"__Hiccup," the man sighed._

_"__Yeah?" Hiccup turned back curiously._

_The man pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke. "How can you tell what time it is if you don't have your watch?"_

_Hiccup looked down at his wrist and smiled sheepishly. "Woops. I'll be right back." Hiccup ran inside to retrieve his watch leaving Astrid and the man standing in awkward silence._

_"__So," the man started. "I heard what you did for Hiccup at Gobber's the other day."_

_"__Gobber's?" Astrid asked confused. She then remembered the name of the ice cream shop and nodded in understanding. "Oh! The ice cream shop. Hiccup told you?"_

_"__No," the man shook his head. "He never tells me things like that. He'd rather have people not know than to know. I don't know why but that's the way he is."_

_"__Maybe too shy?"_

_"__Could be. But I want to thank you for what you did for him."_

_"__It was nothing sir."_

_ "__Well, thank you miss. No one has ever stood up for him before. Especially to Dagur. I've tried talking to his parents but it's like talking to a dead computer."_

_"__You're welcome sir," Astrid smiled. _Did I really make that much of a difference? And really? No one's stood up for him? That's sad.

_"__Got it dad!" Hiccup exclaimed as he ran back outside while putting it on. "I forgot I left it by the sink when I did the dishes earlier." He looked at Astrid and smiled. "Ready?"_

_"__Am I ever!"_

_"__See you later dad!" Hiccup called back as he ran off into the jungle and beyond with Astrid._

_Astrid followed Hiccup down the street onto Main Street once more. She didn't know where he was leading her but decided to follow anyway. But then something clicked in her mind._

_"__Wait!" Astrid said grabbing Hiccup by the arm. She looked at Hiccup in shock and confusion._

_"__What?"_

_"__That was your dad?" Astrid asked in disbelief._

_Hiccup smiled nervously and looked at the ground. "Yeah. __Does it bother you?" Hiccup asked._

_"__No," Astrid stated sincerely. "I've just never seen such a big difference in family before."_

_"__So it doesn't bother you to been seen with me?"_

_"__No. Why?"_

_Hiccup sighed in relief. "I thought that with me being small would give you second thoughts. And I thought that you already made that decision."_

_"__What are you talking about?"_

_"__I hadn't heard from you in four days. I even tried to see you if you walked outside but I never saw you. I thought you forgot me."_

_"__Really?" Astrid asked. "I thought that I had scared you away. Seems like we both had doubts."_

_"__I guess so," Hiccup smiled. "Well, what do you want to do?"_

_"__I don't know," Astrid shrugged. "Just show me your favorite places around town?"_

_"__I really don't have favorite places in town but I have them in the forest," Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you want to see those?"_

_"__Sure," Astrid smiled. "I might as well start somewhere."_

_"__I can show you places I think you and your family will like on the way," Hiccup offered._

_"__Are you going to do your tour voice again?" Astrid asked with a sly smile._

_"__Probably not," Hiccup giggled. "My voice was hoarse for a while after that. It's still too soon I think."_

_"__Alright. Well, lead the way."_

_Hiccup went in the opposite direction they had gone before on Main Street. In the other direction, Hiccup pointed out different shops and businesses. Astrid took note of the tax office and the law firm so she could tell her dad later and she also took note of the location of the gardening shop for her mom. She discovered that Berk did have a theater, well two to be precise, a bowling alley, a skating rink, several parks, an art studio, a large sports center, and other recreational buildings._

_"__I hope that you can find something you'll like here in Berk," Hiccup said._

_"__The sports center seems like a good place to start."_

_"__You like sports then?"_

_"__Well, more like my dad puts me in them," Astrid said. "Says that they help to toughen me up so I'm not easy to walk all over by people."_

_"__I think your dad wanted a boy," Hiccup said without missing a beat. His eyes quickly went wide and looked at Astrid apologetically. Astrid just looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it in a mean way. I just thought that because he forced you into, not that you probably don't like them but then he said about toughening you up…oh man I should just shut up."_

_Astrid started to laugh heartily again. She couldn't remember ever laughing so genuinely back in Meridian. "You are hilarious! I love it when you ramble."_

_"__So you're not upset about the 'wanted a boy' thing?" Hiccup asked shocked._

_Astrid shook her head. "No. Because it's true. So true. My dad's told me before."_

_"__Really?" Hiccup asked in disbelief. "You dad just straight up said 'I wanted a boy'?"_

_"__Yep," Astrid replied nonchalantly. "I don't mind. I like being a girl who's tough but it can be lonely at times."_

_"__How? If you don't mind me asking."_

_"__Back in Meridian, I had a reputation of being able to snap easily. The other kids were afraid of me and wouldn't come near me. I had two friends, Heather and Camicazi, but they were even afraid of me at times. I just felt lonely in a crowd of people."_

_"__I understand that feeling," Hiccup nodded._

_"__You do?"_

_"__Yeah. My dad's job has us always surrounded by people. I end up tagging along on some of his things and end up being swallowed in the crowds. I never have anyone to talk to."_

_"__Does your dad know that?"_

_"__Yeah. He tries to make it easier on me but it always ends up being the same every time."_

_"__Well, at least your dad tries."_

_"__Hey! Little Haddock!" a voice hollered._

_Astrid turned around because she recognized the voice. She narrowed her eyes as the dark haired boy from the other day ran up to them._

_"__Yes Bobby?" Hiccup asked._

_Astrid was taken aback. She didn't know that Bobby was referring to him. _His name is Hiccup. Why would Bobby call him Haddock? Speaking of Haddock, why does that name sound familiar?

_"__Dagur wanted me to tell you that when he gets the chance, he's going to fry you and eat you with chips."_

_"__Yeah?" Astrid snapped. "Well you tell him that if tries to hurt Hiccup I'll throw him at a wall like a dagger and I'll bounce you like a basketball." She raised a fist and took a step forward._

_Bobby stepped back. "Got the message crystal clear. I'll pass it on. Don't worry."_

_Astrid smiled as Bobby ran away in fear. She turned to Hiccup who just smiled at her thankfully but it still looked a bit stupid. _And cute. _She thought. _I like how his grin is lopsided.

_"__What?" Astrid asked._

_"__Nothing," Hiccup said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I just think you're the answer to my prayers."_

_"__Oh? How so?"_

_"__I've been praying for a friend that will always be by my side. Someone who can help me fight the battles I have no chance of winning. I know it's silly."_

_"__Not really. Lonely people ask for that all the time. But I won't fight all of them," Astrid said. "I won't be around all the time."_

_"__I know, but you've already brought down the number of confrontations I usually have by this time. Thank you."_

_"__Have you ever thought about self-defense classes?" Astrid asked curiously. "I hear they help a lot with these kinds of situations."_

_"__Yeah, but every teacher says I'm hopeless. My dad's tried everyone."_

_"__And they don't even want to help you try again? Lame."_

_"__They say I ask too many questions about the moves."_

_"__Why do you ask them if it annoys them?"_

_Hiccup shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'd like to know why I'm doing something. I want to know what they will accomplish. I guess I'm just too hard to work with."_

_Astrid then got an idea. "Hey! I know some simple moves. Maybe I can teach you someday."_

_Hiccup's eyes brightened and he smiled hopefully. "Really? I'd like that. I hate not being able to defend myself."_

_"__Who doesn't?"_

_The two walked in silence for a while. Astrid took this time to think about the boy she was walking with. _Here is this nice boy who gets bullied all the time. He's not hateful or angry like all of the other bully victims I've come across. He's not detached from the world. In fact, it seems as if he's trying to get involved. I mean, why else would he help a stranger? Especially after I snapped at him. He's funny and smart and kind and easy to talk with. _She looked at the boy from the corner of her eye. He seemed different from the last time she saw him. _Does he look happier? _She shook her head in doubt. But then she thought of something that unnerved her._

_"__I hope you don't mind me asking Hiccup," Astrid said. "But do you have any friends?"_

_Hiccup darted his eyes nervously between her and the floor. "Um…besides you?"_

_"__Yeah."_

_"__Um…no," he said sadly. He bowed his head in depression and unconsciously slowed his pace._

_Astrid noticed the shadow that covered Hiccup and his slowed pace. She slowed down with him and tried to think of something to say to lighten his mood again._

_"__You know. My mom says that one good friend is always better than a bunch of semi friends. I hope I can be that one good one."_

_Hiccup smiled and looked up at her. "I hope so too. I also hope I can be that good friend to you too."_

_"__Me too."_

_Hiccup then stopped and pointed behind her. "Well, we're here. This is the forest."_

_"__It's not that far of a walk from Main Street," Astrid observed._

_"__Nope," Hiccup said. "That's why it's my favorite place. That and not very many people come here. It's a place where I can be alone without anyone judging."_

_"__Lead the way."_

_Hiccup showed her around the forest. It actually reminded her a lot of his front yard. It was lush and serene with chirping birds and sun peaking through holes in the canopy. Living in Meridian, she never saw forests or beaches but here she had them. She had a forest in her backyard and a beach for a neighbor. Well, at least that's what her mom said. _

_Hiccup showed her the small stream that trickled through the forest. He showed her the nest of frogs that didn't jump away when he came near. He even had a robin land on his head and chirp at him for a second. She watched as Hiccup seemed to be tuned with the creatures of the forest._

He's amazing._ She thought. _He seems so happy and at home here. _She was in awe at his skill with the forest. It was very obvious to her that he'd spent a lot of time here._

_"__I hope you were just asking about human friends," Hiccup said._

_"__I was," Astrid nodded. "I never thought you'd have so many animal friends."_

_"__If you think this is lot, you should see my mom's list of animal friends."_

_Hiccup brought out a small bag of bread crumbs from his pocket and opened it. He walked over to Astrid and grabbed her hand._

_"__Hold your hand open," Hiccup said gently._

_"__Why?" Astrid asked curiously. _

_"__I want to put some bread in your hand. You can feed the birds. It's more fun than a bird feeder."_

_Astrid obliged to Hiccup's request. He put a small mound in her hand and then put some in his._

_"__Do you never leave the house without a bag of bread crumbs?"_

_"__Nope. I never know when I want to feed some birds," Hiccup smiled. Astrid watched as birds just flocked to Hiccup's hand and ate freely out of his hand. With each new bird, Hiccup's smile widened and his eyes brightened._

_Astrid was so engrossed by Hiccup's power over the animals that she didn't feel something land on her shoulder._

_"__Astrid," Hiccup said. "Look on you left shoulder."_

_Astrid looked and was surprised to see two robins looking at her. She then flinched a little when a sparrow landed on her wrist and began to eat out her hand. In the next few minutes, she felt several more land on her. In front of her, Hiccup was laughing light heartedly._

_"__What's so funny?" Astrid asked._

_"__You've seen _Beauty and the Beast _right?" Hiccup asked._

_"__Yeah."_

_"__You look like the Beast the first time he feeds the birds. You're covered in birds."_

_"__Well, this is definitely more fun than a bird feeder."_

_Astrid and Hiccup repeated the feeding until Hiccup was out of bread. The birds, however, stayed a while and flew around them._

_"__Have you tamed them or something?" Astrid asked. "I only thought that wild birds did this in fairytales."_

_"__They do. I've just been here so long, they know I won't hurt them."_

_"__They why did they trust me?"_

_Hiccup shrugged. "Maybe they figured you wouldn't hurt them because you're with me."_

_"__Maybe," Astrid nodded. She looked back to the birds as they flew back to their nests and cared for their families. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Hiccup smiling at her again._

_"__What?" Astrid asked curious to why he was smiling mischievously._

_He suddenly tapped her and ran off yelling, "You're it!"_

_Astrid gapped at him in shock. "Oh no you didn't," she smiled as she ran after him._

_The two played tag around the forest for hours. To them, it seemed like a few minutes but when you're involved in a fun activity with a good friend, time seems to slow. Astrid had a hard time catching Hiccup for a while but finally caught up to him. Hiccup also had a difficult time in tagging her back but tricked her several times so that he could tag her._

_Astrid was completely happy. She had played tag before back in Meridian but it was always a competition. Here, with Hiccup, it was just plain, good fun. She was enjoying herself heartily and didn't want it to end._

_Astrid rounded a tree looking for Hiccup only to run smack into him. Hiccup didn't see her because he was looking behind him looking for her. She had been it. The two smacked into each other hard and feel back onto the brush. They sat up and held their heads in pain and looked at each other. Simultaneously, the two began to break out into laughter and fell back onto the ground. _

_Astrid and Hiccup sat there taking in the peace for several minutes. She couldn't imagine a day better than this. _Feeding birds with my bare hands, seeing a real forest, and playing tag with Hiccup. Nothing can come close to the perfection of this day._ Astrid continued to reflect on the day. Meeting Hiccup's dad, seeing more of Berk, that stupid Bobby, and…_

_ "__We have to head back," Hiccup said as he got up._

_"__Why?" Astrid asked as she got up as well._

_"__It's 2:30."_

_"__Really? I feel like we just started to hang out."_

_"__Me too."_

_Hiccup and Astrid made their way back out of the forest and back onto the streets of Berk. They continued to chat as they walked back. Astrid felt free and open. She liked being with Hiccup because she could be herself around him. She didn't have to worry about pretending to be something she's not and having someone see her for who she is._

_"__I have a very random question," Hiccup asked._

_"__Alright," Astrid shrugged. "Random away."_

_"__How old are you?"_

_Astrid did a double take. She wasn't expecting that kind of a question. "I'm eleven and a half. I'll be twelve on October 23. How about you?"_

_"__I'm twelve. I turn thirteen on February 28__th__or March 1__st__. Whenever's convenient."_

_"__You're born on a leap year?! Wow. I've never met someone who was born on the 29__th__."_

_"__Well, it's nothing too spectacular," Hiccup shrugged. "I just makes it hard for my parents to decide what day to celebrate my birthday."_

_They had rounded the corner and were almost to their houses when a white van went past them. Hiccup smiled at the van knowing who it belonged to._

_"__You know the owner?" Astrid asked._

_"__Yep. That's my mom's car."_

_Astrid watched as the van pulled up into the driveway and Hiccup's dad came out. He looked down the street and saw Hiccup and Astrid._

_"__Come on Hiccup," his dad called._

_"__I'll see you later Astrid," Hiccup said. "I might be busy for a few days so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me."_

_"__Alright," Astrid replied. "I had fun today."_

_"__Me too," Hiccup smiled._

_"__And it was nice getting to know you better."_

_"__I completely agree. Can't wait to find out more."_

_Astrid waved to him as he ran toward his house and waved back. Astrid turned around and carefully crossed the street to her house. As Astrid was about to enter the house she turned back around when Hiccup exclaimed._

_"__He's beautiful!" Hiccup said._

_Astrid saw Hiccup looking in the back of the car as Stoick and a tall thin woman with long red-brown hair watched from behind Hiccup. Astrid couldn't get a good look at the animal because Hiccup's parents were blocking the way. She also didn't get a good look at Hiccup's mom either for her back was turned to her._

Well, maybe one day I'll see her._ Astrid thought as she went inside._

Astrid finally came out of her daydream to find that the sun was setting low in the sky. She pulled out her phone in a panic to see the time.

"Shit!" she grumbled as she quickly got up and began to run back to the house. As she rounded the corner, she saw her father's car turn around the opposite corner. She sprinted towards her house, entering the backyard before the headlights hit her. She climbed up the side of the house, forced open her window and fell into her room.

She then quickly set her alarms on her phone and jumped into bed. _Hopefully he won't know I've been gone all afternoon. Damn! I haven't even done any homework!_

Her bedroom door opened and her father's shadow appeared on the wall in front of Astrid. "Good," he mumbled. "Won't have to search the town for your whereabouts again." He closed the door and left Astrid to her thoughts and a feeling like the walls were closing in around her.

* * *

Now for those of you who have watched Race to the Edge, I know we know who Dagur's sister is. (not giving spoilers to those who haven't seen it) I wrote Davina before the season came out so... um yeah! I hope you like her though.


	8. Chapter 8

And the plot rears its ugly head. Bring. It. ON!

ENJOY! XD

* * *

Ruff exited the school bus with Tuff close behind trying to cram his homework into his bag. "You know if you did it last night you wouldn't be wrinkling the papers."

"But I was tired," Tuff shrugged. "Besides. It's just homework. We both know you don't need to be smart to be in the circus."

Ruff rolled her eyes. "Idiot."

"Hey guys!" Fishlegs called as he ran up to them.

"Hey," they nodded simultaneously.

"What are you so chipper about?" Tuff asked.

"Our physics test today," Fishlegs smiled at them. His smile then dropped when he saw the look of confusion on their faces. "You did study for the test right?"

"I thought that was next Wednesday," Ruff scratched her head.

"Nope," Fishlegs shook his head. "It's today."

Tuff shrugged his shoulders. "Guess we're going to fail."

"Maybe you," Ruff pushed her brother. "But I have till after lunch. I think I can cram for the exam."

"Hey!" Tuff laughed. "You're a poet and you didn't even know it."

Ruff punched her brother's chest and continued walking. "Shut up. I've got to focus on studying to fail for this test."

The three entered the hallway towards their lockers as they chatted about nonsensical things, but stopped when they saw Astrid and Snotlout. Ruff was about to call out to her friend but stayed silent to figure out what was going on.

Snotlout was talking with her but Astrid didn't seem interested. He then tried to place his hand on her hip only for him to be grabbed and twisted against the locker. Astrid spoke something in his ear and then slammed her locker and walked away.

"Does anyone else feel like those two don't actually like one another?" Fishlegs asked.

"What are you talking about?" Tuff scoffed. "We all know Snot has been trying to date Astrid since he first saw her."

"Yeah," Ruff agreed. "But I'm with you Fish. Ever since those two have dated, they have never acted like a couple. I sometimes feel like Astrid doesn't like him."

"Oh good," Fishlegs sighed. "I'm not the only one."

"I really need to talk to her about this," Ruff mumbled to herself.

* * *

Astrid tried to focus on the routine during practice. She hated having her back turned to Hiccup. She wanted to look at him. But she took some comfort in knowing that he was there. She was happy for that. Whenever they spun, she tried to get a glimpse of the tall, lanky boy, but it was usually all for naught.

She tried to distract herself by thinking of the routine but it wandered again. It went to what she had to do after practice. _Homework: I have a few sheets of vocab in English, start my history essay, memorize some of my foreign words, and complete my physics packet. Oh great. That's going to talk forever!_

As she spun and kicked in the air, she suddenly remembered that tomorrow morning was garbage day. _Put the cans out when I get home. Hopefully I won't knock them over. Stupid gutter._

The routine was over and Gothi shouted for a five minute break. She walked over to the benches with Ruffnut chattering her ear off about some crazy routine they should do. But she wasn't listening. Instead, she could finally watch Hiccup. He was talking with Gobber about something, causing him to walk onto the field and do some changes.

Her mind wandered back to what she had to do when she got home and mixed with the image of Hiccup, causing her to tangent to a memory of long ago.

_It had been two days since the day in the forest and Astrid was still full of excitement. It was an amazing day for her. It was entry worthy in her diary and she wrote for hours. Her parents thought there was something wrong with her but when she came down with a genuine smile, their worries were gone._

_Astrid smiled as she did some research on Berk. Their house finally had internet and Astrid decided to take the opportunity to learn more about Berk. She Google Earth-ed Berk and saw the Wal-Mart Hiccup talked about and was even able to quickly point out Hiccup's house because his was the only one with the front and back covered by a canopy of trees._

_"__Astrid!" Emily called from the kitchen._

_"__Yes mom?"_

_"__Can you take the trash out for me?"_

_"__Sure," Astrid said as she got up from the computer. Just as she left, an advertisement flashed across the screen for a large man with a large red beard._

_Astrid trudged the large bag to the front yard and to the trash can. She easily tossed the bag into the can and was about to turn and leave when she saw her neighbor put his can out on the street. The neighbor saw her watching him and informed her what he was doing._

_"__Tomorrow morning is garbage day. Put your cans out tonight so you don't have to worry."_

_Astrid nodded. "Thanks!" _

_Astrid went back to the can and pulled it to the street. She wasn't used to the deep gutters and the can began to fall. _What's with the depth of these gutters? They're hard to do anything with. _Just as the contents of the can were about to spill out, another hand helped her catch the can and upright it._

_"__Thanks," Astrid said to the person who helped her. She looked up thinking it was the neighbor but instead of a man, she saw a woman._

_She was middle aged and full of life. Her green eyes shined brightly on her smooth, tanned skin. She smiled at Astrid, which formed crows feet by her eyes. It was obvious to Astrid this woman smiled a lot._

_"__It took me a while to get used to the gutters as well when I moved here," she said sweetly. _

_"__Yeah," Astrid nodded. "They're a pain."_

_"__Well, they come in handy when it snows. That's why they're so deep."_

_"__Oh!" Astrid said in understanding. "It's for when it melts."_

_"__Yep."_

_"__Well, thanks again ma'am. I would be out here picking up trash for hours if you hadn't come when you did."_

_"__Don't worry about it," the woman smiled again. "I was watering my plants when I saw you."_

_Astrid smiled again but then furled her eyebrows. _She seems familiar. Where have I seen her before? _Astrid looked closer and saw that her long brown hair was blowing to the left from the gentle breeze and it clicked._

_"__Oh! Are you Hiccup's mom?" Astrid asked bluntly. "I know that seems like a strange question but I only saw her from the back and you have the same hair…_

_The woman began to laugh making the crows feet once again. Her eyes sparkled as she put her hand on her stomach. "And here I was worried of introducing myself to you without seeming like a strange person. Yes, I'm Hiccup's mother. My name's Valka."_

_"__Hello Valka. It's nice to meet you."_

_"__Same here," Valka smiled. "I was wondering when I'd meet you. I've been meaning to thank you for what you did at Gobber's."_

_"__Like I told Hiccup's dad, it was nothing," Astrid shrugged._

_"__Oh, you can call him Stoick. But don't call him Mr. Haddock. He doesn't like it."_

_"__Alright," Astrid nodded. "I'll tell my parents." _Haddock. That name again. Where have I heard it before?

_"__I hope we get to meet them one day," Valka said. "But I'm sure they're pretty busy with settling in and all."_

_"__Yeah. We just got internet today and my dad is so much happier. He does a lot of his business online."_

_"__Well, I'll let you get back to your parents…um," Valka stopped and looked at Astrid sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I'm not good with names, as you can tell by Hiccup's. What's your name again? Lily? Daisy? I know its flower."_

_Astrid giggled at Valka. _I see where Hiccup gets his fun side. _"It's Astrid."_

_"__Astrid! That's right. I was close."_

_"__Yes you were."_

_"__Astrid!" her dad called._

_"__I've got to go Valka," Astrid smiled._

_"__I hope we meet again!" Valka called as Astrid ran up the driveway._

"Earth to Astrid!" Ruff waved a hand in front of Astrid's slightly smiling face.

"Huh?" Astrid shook her head.

"Yeesh! You were really in daydream land weren't you?"

"Um-no," Astrid shook her head. "More like memory lane."

"Ah!" Ruff cocked her eyebrows playfully. "Remembering the good old days with Hiccup?"

Astrid did a double take at her friend. "Wh-what?"

"Wh-wh-what?" Ruff mimicked overdramatically. "You zoned out when you looked at him."

"Oh. I didn't notice," Astrid lied. _I really need to keep my thoughts and emotions in check. I can't risk anymore slip ups for his sake._

"Yeah. Sure," Ruff rolled her eyes.

"Girls!" Gothi called. "Break is over."

"I still think you have feelings for him," Ruff said softly so the other wouldn't hear as the two walked back onto the field.

"No I don't," Astrid said sternly. "We stopped being friends before high school started. Remember? Then I began to date Snotlout-"

"And that's why I'm bring this up," Ruff nudged Astrid. "You and Snot haven't been acting like a couple from day one. You don't kiss, don't hold hands, don't even talk. You don't like it when he gets all sweet on you."

"So I don't like it," Astrid shrugged. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal?" Ruff placed her hands on her hips in disbelief. "The big deal is that even the toughest of women like to be pampered every once even in while. Even me. And seeing how you were more fun loving and accepting of those kinds of things in the past, I have a hard time believing that you 'outgrew' them."

"Why are you getting on my case about this?" Astrid asked. She was beginning to get angry. She knew Ruff was hitting a little too close to home for her.

"Because I feel like you still have strong feeling for Hiccup. You're not very good in hiding your emotions when it comes to him. You don't make fun of him, you steal glances, you always seem to go off on some trip down memory lane when he's around or mentioned. I'm not blind. Stupid, maybe." Ruff saw that Astrid was getting annoyed at her talking and sighed. "The point is Astrid, have you considered being friends with him again?"

"We broke it off Ruff," Astird snapped. "End of story. There is no going back." She turned her attention towards Gothi and began the cheer routine. _At least until I graduate. _

* * *

Snotlout marched into the locker room where Hiccup was putting away the equipment. He was fuming. He had been put into a new position on the team and he knew when his father found out, that he would be livid. It didn't take Snotlout long found out that it was Hiccup's fault.

He walked up behind Hiccup, grabbed his collar, and pinned him against the wall, knocking the breath out of Hiccup.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Snotlout screamed in his face.

"Um…putting the footballs away," Hiccup answered, a bit disoriented.

"I meant about the play," Snotlout fumed. "Are you trying to ruin me? Are you trying to make my father disappointed in me?"

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup was completely confused.

"Why did you tell Gobber to put me as the Quarterback instead as the Receiver?"

"Is that what this is seriously all about?" Hiccup asked slightly amused.

"Yes!" Snotlout snapped. "This is very important! I need to be the one to score the winning point so my father, the team, and the school will be proud of me!"

"Look!" Hiccup said as he pushed his cousin back so he could stand up straight. "I'm not trying to hurt you or ruin you or embarrass you or do anything to you."

"They why would you suggest such a thing?"

"Because you make a great Quarterback!"

Snotlout was taken aback by Hiccup's stern reply. He had never seen Hiccup so confident before, or even defend himself before. It was strange but somehow befitting of him.

"What do you mean? I've always been the Receiver."

"I know," Hiccup said calmly. "And you've been good at it. But I saw that you have a great throwing arm as well. I told Gobber this and suggested that Tuff be the Receiver because he is smaller and more agile to dodge the opposing team members."

Snotlout thought about what Hiccup was talking about. _He has a point. Tuff is quick and slinky. He could make it past._

"I then suggested that Fishlegs punt the ball to you because with his size, he could easily defend you enough for you to throw the ball successfully to Tuff, who would have very little problem catching it. Besides, if the circumstance calls for it, you could also easily take off running with the ball and score a touchdown."

Snotlout continued to think about Hiccup's analysis of the team. _He's right._

"Is not the goal of the game to win as a team?" Hiccup asked. "I know Uncle Spitelout wants you to be the star but would you rather be the star of a team that loses or a member of a starring team? I was only trying to make it easier for our school to win championships. That's all."

"You're right," Snotlout nodded.

"Wait. What?" Hiccup was taken aback by Snotlout's approval. "You agree?"

"What you said makes sense. I do have a good arm and Tuff can weave better than me. And you're right. I'd rather be on a winning team than be the star of a losing one." Snotlout paused for a second then puffed his chest out in confidence. "I don't care if my father approves of the change or not. I will help Berk win. Who cares what dad thinks."

"But you just said…"

"I know what I just said," Snotlout snapped. "And for a while now I've been feeling like I should do my own thing. I guess I just needed a shove." Snotlout turned to head out of the locker room and then paused. He turned and grinned at Hiccup. "Thanks for the illumination."

* * *

The two men received their orders and began their mission. They drove down to Berk and rented a hotel room for a week. They knew if they stayed longer in one location, the easier it was for them to raise suspicion.

Once checked in, they drove down Main Street and turned onto Chieftain Street. They stopped in front of a house with massive amounts of vegetation.

"Is that it?" the younger dark haired man asked.

"Yep," the older, scruffier man nodded. "The Haddock residence."


	9. Chapter 9

Alright! Next chapter! Sorry I've been away but I kind of hit writer's block. Anyway...

WARNING: There is strong language in this chapter. Mainly swear words so yeah... sorry if that bothers you. The story is rate M for a reason. Swearing isn't the only thing that will be a problem.

Nonetheless, ENJOY! XD

* * *

Dagur sat in the waiting room. His knuckles were white, his teeth clenched, and his eye blazing with anger. _When I find out who has been doing this, I'm going to kill them with my bare hands!_

He and his father had raced to the hospital with his sister in a delusional state. She referred to the passing people as peasants and hollered for people to get out of the way of royalty. Oswald tried to tell her to stop calling the nurses and doctors commoners but she refused to listen. Only when Dagur said they were magicians and sorcerers brought to help her, did she calm down and let them touch her.

But now, he just sat there. Not doing anything. Just sitting and waiting; seething. He wanted to see her, know if she'd be alright. If she died, he'd go crazy.

His fists tightened even more as he thought. _I wasn't able to protect her. What kind of a brother am I? How did this even happen? I'm a failure. I need to protect her more. Be more observant. Something. I'm going to fucking kill whoever is behind this._

"Dagur," Oswald broke his concentration.

Dagur looked up at his father, eyes still burning; his mouth grim. "What?"

"The doctors say you can see her now."

"Whatever," Dagur shrugged, pretending not to care. He got up and walked into the room where his sister lay.

She was sleeping in the plastic bed. The monitors peeped to her heart beat and her breathing. Around her head was a bandage that tried to keep infection out of the wound in her skull. The bang on her head from when she fell over was a bit more severe than he had imagined. The IV was injected in her right hand, the solution dripping slowly into her system. He walked over and moved some of the hair from her face as he grinned slightly.

"Seems like you'll be fine," Dagur whispered. "But it still doesn't excuse what they did. I promise I'll make them pay for what they did to you."

* * *

"Did you guys hear?" Ruff whispered. "The drug attackers have come to Berk."

"What?" Fishlegs exclaimed. He immediately looked over his shoulder and caressed his belonging closer to him.

"How do you know sis?" Tuff asked as he glanced at his neighbor in slight disgust.

"Really?" Ruff cocked an eyebrow. "You were with me when it was on the TV this morning."

"I wasn't paying attention," Tuff shrugged. "I was thinking of something else."

"Like what?" Snotlout rolled his eyes. He glanced sideway at Ruffnut, who was sitting next to him, in a playful fashion.

"None of your business," Tuff shook his head.

"Sorry," Snotlout raised his hands defensively.

"What are we going to do?" Fishlegs asked. He took a nervous bite out of his sandwich as he tried to eat.

"What we normally do," Tuff sighed. "These people seem to attack anyone and everyone. No matter how many precautions we take, they'll still probably drug us." Tuff's shoulders slumped a bit. When no response came, he looked up to see three confused faces. "What?"

"Thanks for the cheerful thought," Snotlout scoffed.

"Yeah," Ruffnut agreed. "It's a bit of a downer but I agree."

"You're not helping my nerves here Ruff," Fishlegs squeaked.

"But he's got a point," Ruff defended her brother. "Have you guys kept up on the case?"

"I try not to scare myself at home," Fishlegs chuckled nervously. "And this kind of news would make it hard for me to sleep at night."

"I've been busy with-uh-um-other stuff," Snotlout stumbled. "What does he mean?"

"People have been attacked in ally ways, shopping malls, parking lots, restaurants, and everything in between," Ruff explained. "In busy and crowed areas. No place is safe."

The four of them looked at each other nervously then around them. Their faces grim, eyes full of worry. Unconsciously, they scooted closer together finally breaking out of their worried glances when Ruff and Snotlout exclaimed.

Fishlegs held his heart and tried to slow his breathing. "Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Dude. What happened?" Tuff asked.

"Don't touch me!" Ruff shoved Snotlout.

"Hey! It was an accident!" Snotlout defended himself. "Geez."

"Seriously?" Tuff's face fell in disappointment. "You two squealed liked babies because you accidently touched each other's hand?"

"Well to their defense, we did create an intense atmosphere," Fishlegs said.

"Whatever," Tuff rolled his eyes. "I'm going to do some brainstorming on our next pranks sis." He picked up his tray and left the table. The other three just sat around quietly eating their lunches, the previous conversation bouncing in their minds.

Fishlegs then began to gather his things and stuff his trash into his paper bag. "I'll see you guys in sixth period. I have some questions for my calculus teacher."

"Bye," Ruff and Snotlout waved together.

The two of them continued to eat as the lunch period ticked by. The two were still unaware that they were so close until Ruff turned her head to get something from her bag.

"Hey!" Snotlout cried out.

Ruff snapped her head in his direction, seeing that his drink had spilled somewhat. His hands engulfed the cup, indicating he had caught it before it did too much damage.

"What?"

"Your braid almost knocked my drink over."

"It's never happened before," Ruff cocked an eyebrow. "Why wou-oh!" She then realized how close she was to him and scooted down the seat, blushing slightly. "Sorry. Didn't know I was that close to you."

"It's fine," he shrugged as he cleaned up the liquid that did spill. "I didn't realize it either."

"Um-ah-where's Astrid?" Ruff changed the subject.

"I don't know," Snotlout looked down at his plate. "She said something about needing to be alone."

Ruff cocked an eyebrow, taking this opportunity to dig. "Are you two having issues?"

"No," Snotlout scrunched his eyebrows. Then they quickly went slack. "I don't think so. Astrid's been acting weird lately."

"Yes she has," Ruff agreed. "But then again, she's been different since Freshman year."

Snotlout raised his head and pondered, realizing Ruff's observation. "Yeah! That is true. I wonder what could have changed."

* * *

"What the hell did you do to the car?" Harold shouted from the garage.

Astrid jumped at the sudden sound of her father's voice. She turned from her seat in the living room to see her father livid. His face was red and veins were bulging out of his neck. "What do you mean?" Astrid asked sincerely.

"Don't play games with me," Harold walked forward. "What did you do to the car?"

"I haven't done anything," Astrid replied strongly. "I haven't driven it in over a week!"

"That's bullshit!" he spat. "It wasn't me. I haven't done anything to it."

Astrid rolled her eyes in annoyance as she turned her back to him. "Maybe if you'd stop drinking and driving you'd know that it is because of you," she mumbled under her breath.

"What did you say?" Harold snapped.

"Nothing."

She was looking in her binder at her homework when she was suddenly looking at the ceiling. Her head was searing in pain and she reached her hands up to her head only to come in contact with her father's hand.

Harold had grabbed her long braid and yanked her head back to look at him. He didn't care that he was upside down to her, he just wanted to make sure she made eye contact. "Don't you turn your back to me. And don't you dare back talk me."

"Mom did," Astrid said as she tried to get out of his grip. "She told you when you were in the wrong and you listened. I didn't do anything to the car!"

Harold tugged tighter and harder causing Astrid to cry out. "Your mother was stupid. She didn't know any better. I'm trying to make you smarter than that dumb woman."

Astrid's eyes burned. Her eyes were tearing up from the pain and the insult. "No she wasn't!" Astrid screamed back. "She was brave to stand up for her opinion."

Astrid cried out again, squeezing her eyes shut at the pain. "Your mother was out of line. Always! She was too dumb to know her place in this house. But you will know yours. That car had better be running by tomorrow morning or you will be absent from school for the rest of the week. Got it?"

He released her hair as he pushed it forward forcefully. He then turned and walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Astrid rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and base of her skull with the other as her eyes remain shut tightly. It's the one thing she hated about her hair; it was a great source of pain for her. She breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm her emotions as she rubbed her head.

Her eyes then flew open as his words sank in. _Oh no! No no no no! He can't. H-he wouldn't! You know he would Astrid. He wasn't even drunk. He definitely means it._ She jumped up from the couch, not caring that her homework was flown all over the floor, and raced to the garage.

She flew open the door and hopped inside the car. She listened to what might be the matter and popped the hood. She raced about the garage finding the right tools to try and fix it. When she thought she fixed the problem, she turned the key again, only to find the car was unresponsive.

She leaned over the engine again to find out what else could be wrong. For over an hour, she fixed and repaired everything she could think of, everything she knew how to fix, and yet the car refused to respond. As she released the key from the last time she tried to turn it, she slammed her head against the steering wheel.

She let it rest there for a few minutes as her mind raced about what would come if she didn't get it to work. Her heart raced and her breathing quickened just at the thought. _The rest of the week?! I don't think I could handle that._

Astrid sighed as he forced herself out of the driver's seat and back to the hood of the car. She slowly scanned the engine, seeing if she missed anything, but quickly coming to the conclusion that she hadn't. She leaned on the end of the hood, sighing. She knew she'd need to take the car to the auto shop but it was late; nothing would be open.

_Well it's worth a shot to see if anyone is home._ She pulled out her phone and dialed the number with her greasy fingers.

* * *

Hiccup's head bobbed to the beat of the music as he walked. His mouth formed into a small smile at the music he was listening too. It took his mind off of reality and into his own little world, one which he visited often.

As he continued to walk, an eerie feeling entered his chest. He shook it off and allowed the music to engulf him again but the feeling broke through his barrier again. He quickly spun around and quickly looked around him. No one was there. Just the brightly sun lit street. He turned back around and began to walk again.

His hands were shoved into his pockets, his fingers tapping his phone. He passed several shops as he walked down Main Street into the auto shop. All the while, he continued to have that eerie feeling, causing him to turn around several times.

When he entered the garage, he pulled his earbuds out and turned off his iPod. He shrugged his shoulders in a circular fashion, trying to rid himself of that, in his mind, misplaced feeling.

"How busy are we today Gobber?"

Gobber hobbled into the garage, wiping his greasy hands clean. "Not that busy. I think you will have one car to finish but you'll be able to do that real quick."

Hiccup hung up his coat and put on his blue one pieced jumper. "That sounds great!" Hiccup smiled as he zipped up his protective clothing. "I might be able to get some work done on my personal projects then."

"Don't stay too late doing whatever you're building," Gobber shook a finger. "Your father worries when you're out late. Especially on a school night."

Hiccup smiled as he giggled slightly. "I promise I won't be here later than 11."

Gobber cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. "Yeah sure."

"Ok," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I'll _try_ not to be here later than 11. You happy?"

"Hmm," Gobber stroked his chin. "Knowing you, you'll probably be here till 1 in the morning. What are you working on?"

"A new prosthetic," Hiccup grabbed some tools. "This one is getting a bit sore."

"Couldn't you order one? It'll be quicker."

"Yes," Hiccup nodded. "But not more comfortable. Or practical. If I order it, it looks like a prosthetic. But when I make it myself, it looks like a foot. No one knows the difference."

"I see," Gobber nodded. He then frowned. "Why are you hiding-"

"Because I am," Hiccup interrupted. He didn't want to get into this conversation and ended it as quickly as possible. His eyes fell and his shoulders slumped at the thought and at snapping at Gobber. "Sorry."

"No," Gobber shook his head. "I get it."

Hiccup turned around and smiled at his mentor. "Don't you have a meeting or something to get too?"

"Oh yes!" Gobber smiled brightly. "You'll be alright here?"

"This isn't the first time I've manned the shop alone," Hiccup crossed his arms teasingly.

"Yes I know but-"

"Bye Gobber!" Hiccup waved his hands at him, telling him to scoot out the door.

"Pest!" Gobber shook his head.

"Tell whoever he is that I said 'hi'!" Hiccup hollered after him.

"Will do!" Gobber hollered back.

Hiccup laughed to himself as he heard the car door open and close and watched as his car sped away. He turned and walked into the garage, raising the last car of the evening. As it rose, he went over to the stereo on the bench and turned on the radio.

As the music played, Hiccup worked on the car. In minutes, the car was complete and he began to lower it. However, as he lowered it, that feeling came back. His thumb released the button as he turned around to see outside. He walked over to the window and saw nothing. He opened the garage door and saw nothing but the setting sun.

_What is wrong with you Hiccup? Paranoid of nothing! Get a grip._ He shook his head and closed the door, locking it for safety. He resumed lowering the car and finished the paper work involved. He then dragged a stool over to the workbench and began to work on his prosthetic.

As the sun set and darkness engulfed Berk, Hiccup tapped his foot to the radio. For over two hours, he worked on his project. He swore and cursed when it didn't function properly. He ran his hands through his hair and over his face repeatedly in exhaustion. He finally just placed it in front of him and starred at it, trying to figure out why it wasn't functioning properly.

As he worked on the prosthetic, the feeling increased. He shrugged his shoulders repeatedly, turned up the volume on the radio, and turned on all of the lights but nothing made it go away. His heart stopped when a noise echoed over the radio. He turned off the radio and listened.

His heart rate rose as the silence increased. He looked around quickly, trying to see if anything seemed out of place. He grabbed a crow bar and held it in his hands defensively as he slowly stood up. _Ok. This is getting too much. I don't like this. I'm just going to go home and pretend I was never freaked out by nothing. Yeah. That's what-_

**_RIIIIINNNGGG!_**

"Ahh!" Hiccup yelped as he jumped two feet into the air. He held his chest in fright as he realized that the shop phone was ringing. He took a deep breath and walked into the office. He picked up the phone and answered it.

"Gobber's Auto Shop. Hiccup speaking. How may I help you?"

"_Hiccup?"_ the caller asked. _"You're still there? Oh thank god!" _

Hiccup's face contorted into confusion. "Astrid?"

"_Yeah. Thank god you're still there."_

"Is everything ok?" Hiccup leaned into the phone further, thinking that it'll help get him closer to her. He could hear that something was up. Something had upset her.

"_Well…I know it's super late and it's a school night. I don't want to be a burden but if you can-I mean even of you can't, I'd-"_

"Astrid," Hiccup stopped her from talking. "What do you need?"

Silence hung on the line for a second before Astrid spoke. _"I need dad's car fixed by morning. It won't start." _

Hiccup's heart stopped. He heard fear in her voice. Hell, he felt it in his gut. This would be risky. It could really jeopardize everything. If they were caught, things would drastically change.

_"__I wouldn't ask unless it was absolutely necessary."_

"No, no, no. I know," Hiccup reassured. "I'll be there in five minutes. Get the car out of the garage so it's ready when I get there. We should be out in the open as little as possible."

_"__Alright. I'll be waiting."_

* * *

Muahahahahahaha!

Anyways! Might be another chapter tonight! We'll see! XD


	10. Chapter 10

Alright! This is a long chapter! But I hope you guys like it. It takes place right after the previous chapter so um..yeah.

Warning: There is some swearing in this chapter. You have been warned. :)

Another flashback chapter. EHH! :D So um- I don't know what else to say other than...ENJOY! XD

* * *

Hiccup hung up the phone and ran into the garage. He put his prosthetic and his tools away quickly. He ran into the back parking lot and got into the green and rusted tow truck. As he turned the key and engaged the engine, he spotted a large hoodie in the passenger seat.

_Gobber must have left it from the last time he drove this._ He grabbed the hoodie and threw it on. He revved the engine and headed to Astrid's house. He rounded the corner and saw Astrid waiting next to the run down Ford. He drove past her house and backed up into the driveway. Once Astrid indicated that he was close enough he put the truck in park and cut the engine.

Before he hopped out, he flung the hood over his head to cover his face. He closed the door quietly and ran up to meet Astrid.

"Alright," Hiccup whispered. "Let's hook this hunk of metal up quickly and get out of here."

"Agreed," Astrid nodded.

Within minutes, the car was hooked up, Astrid had hopped into the passenger seat and Hiccup was driving back to the auto shop, pulling back the hood as he began to drive off. The two rode in silence for the couple of minutes it took to get back to the shop.

"Alright," Hiccup sighed as he pulled up beside the garage. "Let's see the damage." He released the car and with the help of Astrid, pushed the car into the garage.

"Thank you Hiccup," Astrid smiled. "I honestly thought Gobber would be working."

"It's fine," Hiccup reassured. "We were in and out of there quickly. I don't think anyone saw us."

"Besides," Astrid giggled. "No one would recognize you in that baggy sweater. Did you get that just for undercover jobs?"

Hiccup looked down at himself and realized how ridiculous he looked. He was swimming in the sweater. The end reached his knees, the sleeves hung inches off of his arms, and the entire thing looked like a giant deflated balloon on him.

"Ah-hahaha- no," Hiccup laughed slightly. "It's not mine. It's Gobber's. I found it in the truck." He grabbed the ends of the sweater and flung it over his head to reveal his blue jumper. "That's more like it."

"There's the Hiccup I know," Astrid smiled weakly.

"Now let's see," Hiccup rubbed his hands together. He popped the hood and looked inside. His eyes went wide in disbelief and smiled nervously at Astrid. "Any particular reason why he needs it by tomorrow morning?"

Astrid went ridged. Her face went slack while her eyes went was wide as saucers. "Oh-um-he needs it for work. He's going out of town," she lied.

"Ok then," Hiccup nodded. He knew she wasn't telling the truth. He figured there was a more…severe reason but he wasn't going to pry it out of her.

"Why?" Astrid asked nervously.

"Well, from what I can see already," Hiccup sighed. "This is going to take a long time to fix. Even after you started for me."

"Really? What did he do-wait! How did you know I tried fixing it already?" Astrid asked.

"I can see it. I know what your work looks like," Hiccup motioned at the engine. "Besides, you have grease on your hands."

Astrid lifted her hands slightly to see the smudges on her palms and a layer under finger nails. "Oh. Right."

"But what you did was really good and it would have fixed the car if it wasn't for the main problem."

Her cheeks turned a slight pink at the compliment. "I did learn for the best you know." She punched him lightly on the shoulder as she continued to smile. "So what is the main problem?"

"Haven't the foggiest," Hiccup scratched his head.

"Wait. What?"

"No idea what is wrong," Hiccup squatted to look closer at the engine. "That's what's going to take the most time."

"God! I hate my father!" Astrid clenched her fist. "He tells me to fix the car by morning but fucks it up so badly that it takes your evening away!" Hiccup watched her as she vented to him and she noticed his starring eyes. She took a calming breath and unclenched her fists. "Sorry about the language. It just isn't fair to you."

"Or to you," Hiccup added. "Why would he tell you to fix the car? Why didn't he bring it himself?" Hiccup walked over to the wall and pressed a button to raise the car.

Astrid was glad Hiccup's back was turned for she rocked nervously as she wrung her hands to come up with an answer. "He had another meeting tonight," she lied. "He had to leave immediately if he was going to make it on time by foot."

"Ah," Hiccup nodded. "Well, make yourself comfortable. It's going to be a while."

Astrid walked over to the workbench and sat on the stool. She scolded herself for lying to Hiccup but she had too. She hated the taste in her mouth and she ran her tongue over the roof of her mouth to rid herself of it, but to no avail.

"You can turn the radio on if you want," Hiccup motioned to the stereo. "Or my iPod. It's in my jacket pocket."

"Ok," Astrid smiled. She got up and walked over to the stereo and turned it on. Even as the music played a cheerful melody, she still felt dirty about everything.

She, instead, decided to focus on Hiccup. He was under her car with a light, focusing on trying to figure out what was wrong. She wriggled in her seat as she watched him. She loved watching him. It was her secret obsession. She just liked the way his tongue stuck out, the way his brow furrowed, how the muscles moved in his neck. It was just a marvelous sight for her and brought her great joy.

She shook her head out of her thoughts when he suddenly went ridged and snapped his neck towards the door. He stood there for a second and shrugged his shoulders as if trying to rid himself of a chill before he went back to the car.

Hiccup could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't care. He didn't mind. In a way, he liked the feeling. He could always tell if her eyes were on him because of that warm feeling he got in his chest. But that warmness he felt couldn't block out the thoughts going through his mind. He wanted to tell her that he knew, he wanted her to know that she could trust him with that information but he kept quiet. He felt that soon he should tell her that he knew to protect her but-

He snapped his head toward the door. That eerie feeling overpowered everything. A chill ran down his spine and he moved his shoulders to shake it off. He hated feeling that. In fact, he'd been feeling it for several days now. _Maybe I should tell dad. No no. He'll panic and not give me a moment's rest. He has enough on his mind with campaigning. The last thing he needs is to worry about me._

Hiccup went back to the car and continued the search for the problem. It seemed like forever, but he finally figured it out. "Hey Astrid," Hiccup called as he turned around.

Astrid jolted awake from sleeping on her hand. She looked around dazed, blinking her eyes repeatedly to remove the tiredness. "Huh? What?"

Hiccup immediately felt guilty. "Sorry. I didn't know you had fallen asleep."

"No, no I didn't," Astrid stretched. "I was in that 'hearing and seeing everything before you fall asleep' state. What's up?"

"I found the problem."

"Oh good," Astrid sighed. "How bad is it?"

"Not that bad," Hiccup lied.

"Liar." Astrid hopped off the stool. "How bad is it?" She crossed her arms and popped her hip out to indicate she was serious for the truth.

"Bad," Hiccup sighed. "It will definitely take a looonng time to fix."

"Well," Astrid tossed her head to the left to move her bangs out of the way. "Let me help you. You can teach me along the way so I can fix it if something like this happens again."

"Ok," Hiccup smiled. "There's an extra jumper in the office."

Hiccup watched as Astrid turned and entered the office to retrieve the jumper. He smiled as he went over to the tools and collected the ones he needed. He loved it when Astrid hung out with him, no matter how dangerous it was. It was like the two of them shared this love of pushing their luck. It was fun yet ominous.

"Alright," Astrid spoke. "Where do you want me to start?"

Hiccup looked over his shoulder and looked at her. He smiled brightly at her appearance. Even in a greased jumper, she was the most beautiful thing to him. "Well, I'm going to need you right next to me the entire time so just under the car is fine."

The two walked towards the car and began to work on it together.

* * *

"Do you think we really need to get jobs?" Ruff asked as she walked down the hallway.

Tuffnut shrugged. "I don't know. I do think that life will be easier if we start saving now."

"Yeah I guess," Ruff nodded.

"I'll miss taking lunch money from dad's wallet," Tuff wiped a fake tear from his eye.

"Me too!" Ruff wailed overdramatically. She flung herself at Tuff and hung on him as she 'cried'. He quickly joined in and added to the big scene.

The two quickly got confused looks from the other students in the hallway but not one came forward to see if anything was wrong.

"What the hell?" Snotlout ran up to them.

"What are you two doing?" Astrid yawned.

"What's wrong?" Fishlegs asked.

"Oh nothing," the two popped up in unison. Their distraught postures replaces by a normal and happy stance.

The others looked at each other in confusion. "So what wasn't wrong?" Astrid asked.

"We were discussing that we should look for jobs and reminisced how we would miss stealing money from our parents," Tuff smiled.

"You two are weird," Fishlegs cocked an eyebrow.

"That we are!" Ruff high fived her brother.

"You two? A job? Please not together," Snotlout held his hands together, praying that his plea would come true.

"What did you have in mind?" Astrid yawned again.

The twins looked at each other and then shrugged at the group. "Not a clue," Ruff responded.

"Well, I think you should figure that out before you start applying."

"I agree with Astrid," Fishlegs spoke. "Based on the job you're applying for, your resume should match-"

"Yeah I might have cared," Tuff interrupted.

"But now…" Ruff rocked her hand back and forth to indicate uncertainty.

"Come on guys," Astrid sighed. "He was only trying to help."

"We know," Ruff smiled. "We just love messing with him."

"Well, maybe we can help you guys out," Snotlout said. "We'll regroup at the end of the day with ideas that might fit you two."

"Not a bad idea," Astrid nodded.

Tuff glanced over Astrid's shoulder and noticed something. His mind was in deep thought, not hearing what the others had just suggested. "I'll see you guys after school. I have something to deal with."

Tuff took off from the group, leaving them to watch in confusion as he walked off. "What does he have to deal with?" Fishlegs asked.

"I don't know," Ruff shrugged. "He may be my twin but I can't read his mind."

Just then the warning bell rang and the group separated to go to their respective classes. Astrid and Ruff walked together in silence. Ruff could see Astrid's eyes were drooping and tired, but she made it more apparent when she yawned again.

"Late night doing something huh?"

Astrid jumped slightly at Ruff's sentence. Her eyes darted and she gave a nervous laugh. "What?"

"You're ubber tired. You were up late last night weren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Homework? If that's the case, you need to complain that there is too much homework and that it should be banned from schools."

Astrid cocked an amused eyebrow at her blonde friend. "You're not concerned about my wellbeing. You just want an excuse to start a 'ban on homework' petition."

"That's not true," Ruff gasped. "I am curious about what you did last night." Ruff then smiled and leaned in close to Astrid. "But I am starting a petition." Astrid rolled her eyes as her friend. "So why were you up late last night? Romance?"

Ruff nudged Astrid playfully, causing her to blush. "No. No romance. I was up trying to get my dad's car to work."

Ruff's face fell and she stopped walking. "What?"

"Yep," Astrid nodded. "Nothing exciting."

"Why didn't your dad take it to a shop?" Ruffnut sighed in disgust. "Your dad can be so uncaring at times." Ruff entered the classroom still shaking her head in disbelief.

"You have no idea," Astrid mumbled.

* * *

Hiccup shook his head for the twentieth time that day to keep himself awake. He and Astrid had been working on that stupid car until 3 AM. Even after all of that, they still had to complete their homework. Luckily for him, it was easy but Astrid had some difficult assignment due in less than five hours. He stayed up with her on Skype to keep her company and to help her out if need be.

He was anxious for the day to end so he could go home and sleep but he still had football practice to attend to. _Oh man! I hope Astrid can survive practice today. Gothi has a rigorous practice day today…of all days._

He shook his head again as he opened his locker and grabbed the books needed for his last class. Behind him, a couple of freshmen were chatting about a documentary she had seen earlier that week.

"No I'm serious," the female exclaimed. "It was so cool! It talked about some of the most amazing creatures ever!"

"Like what?" the boy scoffed. "Lions and tigers and bears? OH MY!"

Hiccup grinned slightly at the reference.

"Yes, it had that but it also had animals like the snow tiger, panthers, seals, draco lizards and so much more."

"Huh," the boy nodded. "Sounds interesting. Maybe you could show it to me someday."

"That's why I told you about it," the girl giggled. "You said you wanted to be a zoo caretaker or something. I think you'll like the draco the best."

"You know," the boy said. "I've always wanted an exotic animal as a pet. A tiger would be awesome!"

Hiccup smiled and frowned as he walked to his class. The two students talking brought up some happy memories but painful ones as well. _I used to have exotic animals as pets when mom was-_ He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought. It was years ago but it still hurt. Still, memories flooded back from a happier time.

_Hiccup looked at the two large animals he had to take on a walk. _I can't handle both. Especially with one that's unpredictable. I'm going to need help. _Hiccup thought of someone he could ask. His mom was away on a house call and his dad was on the phone with someone about work and it sounded important._

_He then thought of someone and smiled. He ran out of the house and across the street, carefully, to Astrid's house. Unbeknownst to him, Astrid saw him from her window and headed downstairs._

_Hiccup rang the doorbell and waited for an answer, which came rather quickly. When the door opened, a tall muscular man with slick black hair and beady brown eyes stared down at him. He was a little shorter than his dad but he wasn't intimidated by him. When you live with a man that's six foot five, adults of a similar size aren't that scary._

_"__What?" the man asked bluntly._

_"__Um, I was wondering if Astrid's home."_

_"__You're the boy across the street. Um sneeze or something," Harold purposefully said._

_Hiccup's shoulders slumped a little. "No, it's Hiccup sir."_

_Harold cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Are you an athlete?"_

_Hiccup darted his eyes in uncertainty of the question. _That's a bit random. _"Um…no."_

_"__Then Astrid's not here," Harold said as he slammed the door in Hiccup's face._

_Hiccup blinked a few times in shock. He was used to being rejected but this was weird. He had never had a parent treat him like a piece of garbage or a no body. It was a strange feeling that fell over him._

_Hiccup down cast his eyes and hung his head in sadness as he turned and walked back to his house. Behind him, Astrid could be heard running down the stairs. An argument ensued between Astrid and her father with Astrid running out the door toward Hiccup in a frustrated mood._

_"__Hiccup!" Astrid called._

_Hiccup turned, surprised to hear his name be called by her. He gave her a bright smile. "Hi Astrid."_

_"__Hey," Astrid said as she stopped next to him. "Sorry about my dad. That was wrong."_

_"__It's okay. I'm used to it."_

_"__But by parents? I don't think so." Astrid shook her head in anger at what her father did to Hiccup. "It was just wrong. Anyway," Astrid changed her mood quickly and smiled at him. "What's up?"_

_"__What do you mean?"_

_"__You came over for a reason right?"_

_"__Oh, right," Hiccup smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. Kind of forgot. Um…" Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck in doubt as he asked her. "I need to walk my mom's animals and I need help. I can usually handle it but the new one she brought is unpredictable. I don't know if I could handle two large animals."_

_Astrid nodded and shrugged. "Sure. Why not? It'll be fun to hang out with you even if it means walking some dogs."_

_"__Well, they're not exactly dogs."_

_"__Whatever. It sounds more fun than what I was doing."_

_Hiccup and Astrid walked across the street. Astrid expected to go through the front yard jungle again and through the house but Hiccup led her around the house to the back gate._

_"__Wait. We're going straight into your backyard?"_

_"__Yeah," Hiccup nodded. "They're outdoor animals and I don't want to risk them breaking anything inside."_

_"__Oh. Ok."_

_"__Oh, and if you like the front yard, you'll love the backyard."_

_"__Is it less jungle-y?"_

_"__The opposite," Hiccup smiled. He opened the gate and entered the backyard. _

_The moment Astrid entered the backyard, she had to push aside a branch to get through. Hiccup pushed aside more branches and held them back for Astrid as they continued to the backyard. Astrid was definitely surprised by how much more vegetation there was compared to the front. _

_Hiccup held back a branch and smiled as he said, "Welcome to the backyard."_

_Astrid walked past Hiccup and gasped at what she saw. It was like a mini forest. The trees had all grown into each other creating a thick canopy over the yard and the house. Birds and monkeys flew from tree branch to tree branch. In the corner, there was a small pond that was occupied by a variety of fish and aquatic animals. There were turtles, sea gulls, crabs, and even a sea lion._

_Astrid just gaped at the sight. She was frozen in awe and wonder at such a sight. Hiccup stood next to her and looked at his backyard as well. He was never tired of seeing it this way but seeing it through Astrid's eyes, he saw his backyard with new wonder._

_"__It's like you have your own zoo. Your own ecosystem," Astrid smiled._

_"__Yep," Hiccup nodded. "It's always an adventure out here."_

_Hiccup walked around her to the other side of the yard and Astrid absentmindedly followed, still dazed. Hiccup bent down and began to fill bowls with water as Astrid looked around a bit. He knew there was nothing dangerous and therefore didn't fear she would get hurt._

_Astrid walked toward the pond and watched the fish swim around. There were orange fish, pink fish, red fish, brown fish, blue fish and many more in between. She was surprised when the sea lion came up to her and barked in her face. She wasn't sure what it wanted and put her hands up, not wanting to threaten it. The sea lion, though, nudged at her hand. Astrid quickly understood and began to pet it, which the sea lion enjoyed considerably until the sea gull bugged him and he went to deal with it._

_Astrid stood up and turned around back to Hiccup. She was about to say something when she froze in fear. In front of her, behind Hiccup, was a large white tiger. She'd seen pictures but to see one in real life? That's a bit scary. The tiger's gaze was on Hiccup and looking at him intensely._

_"__Hiccup!" Astrid whispered frantically._

_"__Yeah?" Hiccup asked without turning around. He was almost done filling up a large bowl of water._

_"__I don't want to alarm you but there's a large white tiger starring at you."_

_Hiccup turned around after turning the faucet off and looked at the tiger in the eyes. Astrid thought for sure that the tiger was going to attack but what happened instead confused her._

_"__There you are," Hiccup smiled. The tiger licked him over and over again. "Oh! Ok. You know that I'm not a cub. At least yours. You don't need to do that." Hiccup lowered the large bowl on the floor. "Here you go."_

_The tiger lowered his head and began to drink from the bowl as Hiccup looked up and saw Astrid's confused and terrified expression. He quickly made the connection and explained._

_"__You don't have to fear him. He's a big softy. Aren't you boy?" Hiccup asked getting smacked in the face with his tail. "I'm feeling the love." Astrid cracked a smile at the light hearted antics. "This is Cloudjumper. My mom's pet."_

_Astrid blinked a few times and shook her head. "Your mom's what?"_

_"__Pet. The snow tiger."_

_"__Pet? How can she have a snow tiger as a pet?"_

_"__Well, he's more of a permanent patient," Hiccup said as he walked towards the back of the yard. "He won't let anyone except my mom touch him for medical treatment so the board just suggested he stay here. He's like a big dog."_

_Astrid took her eyes off of Cloudjumper as Hiccup moved and didn't see that Cloudjumper had walked right up to her. She didn't notice he was there until she felt the whiskers touch her skin._

_"__Ah!" Astrid yelped as she jumped back._

_"__It's ok," Hiccup reassured. He was quickly by Astrid's side. "He's just getting to know you. Here, put out your hand. Like this." Hiccup reached his hand out to Cloudjumper with his palm face down and flat. Cloudjumper looked at it and closed the gap between them. _

_Astrid followed Hiccup's example but still unsure. Her hand shook slightly as she waited for the tiger to either bite it or do what he did with Hiccup._

_"__You know," Hiccup said trying to reassure her. "He's more afraid of you than you are of him. He sees you a threat to his home. Just relax and show that you're not here to harm him."_

He's more afraid of you. He's more afraid of you. I'm not here to harm you. I'm a friend. _Astrid thought to herself over and over again. She closed her eyes and calmed herself, stopping her shaking. It seemed like an eternity to her but she finally felt the soft fur under her fingers. She opened her eyes and saw the white head of Cloudjumper resting in her palm._

_"__Incredible," Astrid laughed._

_"__He's a big sweetheart when he knows you," Hiccup said. He turned around to see that Cloudjumper began to nuzzle her to the ground making Astrid laugh heartily. "And he makes my point for me."_

_"__So we're taking him for a walk?" Astrid asked finally getting up from under Cloudjumper. _

_"__Yes. He always comes. But it's not him that I need help with. It's them," Hiccup gestured to his right._

_Astrid gasped and jumped behind Hiccup. In front of them, was a full grown black panther with piercing brown eyes. It wasn't in a cage but it did have a leash tied to its collar and a pole. However, the leash was long enough for it to roam freely. It didn't seem too pleased with Astrid's presence and Astrid was afraid it was going to pounce on her._

_To the right of it, under a bushel of leaves, there was a tiger. Not a snow tiger like Cloudjumper but a normal orange and black tiger. She couldn't see it well because it was hiding but she was still afraid of it._

_"__When you said your mom's animals, I figured a German Sheppard not a panther and tiger," Astrid murmured into his ear. She wasn't one to be afraid. She was taught to never be afraid… of people. But exotic animals? That was another thing._

_"__I tried to tell you they weren't dogs."_

_"__Yeah no kidding. They're going to eat us!"_

_"__No they're not," Hiccup smiled. "Bagheera has been here for several weeks. He's pretty calm. Raja on the other hand," Hiccup gestured to the hidden tiger. "He's only been here for a few days."_

_"__Wait," Astrid said remembering the day his mom came back. "He's what your mother brought back?"_

_"__Yep."_

_"__And we're taking these two for a walk?"_

_"__You don't have to if you don't want to," Hiccup reassured her. He didn't want her to do anything she wasn't comfortable with._

_"__I said I would, I just wasn't expecting…this."_

_"__You just gestured to everything," Hiccup cocked an eyebrow._

_"__Yeah I did," Astrid nodded confidently. "I've heard of backyards being junkyards but personal zoos? No way. It's not something people come across every day." Astrid walked out from behind Hiccup a little braver. _If he can live with them in his backyard every day, I can handle walking one for an afternoon. I might even enjoy it. _"So which one am I taking?"_

_"__Bagheera. He's used to the walks and won't be that jumpy. I'll take Raja. He hasn't been on one of these yet."_

_"__Ok," Astrid said. "Do I do what I did with Cloudjumper? The hand thing to get him to trust me?"_

_"__Yeah."_

_"__Ok," Astrid sighed. She looked at the black panther and he looked uncertainly back at her. "It's ok," she talked smoothly. "I'm a friend. I'm here to give you some-" Astrid was cut off by the sudden touch of Bagheera's head. Astrid smiled as she undid the leash from the pole. "We're ready," Astrid said as she turned around._

_Hiccup didn't have Raja on a leash yet. In fact, it seemed as if he just got it and was now trying to get Raja to come out. "It's ok boy. You know me. I'm your pal Hiccup. You know I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend. Come on out Raja."_

_Astrid watched as Hiccup used his magic on him. She gasped as Raja came out and revealed his full beauty to the world. He was a fire orange with dark black stripes that encased his body and face giving him a dangerous beauty. _

_"__He's beautiful," Astrid whispered._

_"__I know," Hiccup smiled as he put the leash on Raja's collar. He began to walk towards the back gate with Astrid following when he stopped and turned around. "You coming Cloudjumper?"_

_Astrid turned to see the snow tiger stride up to them and walk in sync with them. "Doesn't he need a leash too? Isn't he going to run?"_

_"__He never does," Hiccup explained. "He just stays with us. I guess my mom's tamed him too well."_

_"__I guess so."_

_Hiccup and Astrid began to walk around the block, which they went around several times. Astrid had a little trouble with Bagheera at first but quickly got used to him. Raja was a skittish as a new born cat. He jumped at every sound, cowered at people who were nowhere near him, and tried to dart every time a car went by but Hiccup masterfully was able to calm him down every time and he quickly began to calm down as well. The last few times around the block were smooth sailing._

_"__So," Astrid started as they neared Hiccup's home after the last time around. "Bagheera and Raja? As in the names of the panther and tiger in the _Disney _movies?"_

_"__Yeah," Hiccup blushed and rubbed the back of his neck._

He seems to do that every time he's nervous or embarrassed. Might come in handy later. _Astrid thought as she listened to Hiccup's explanation._

_"__Mom was at first just a simple vet but then she started to get the exotic animals. We thought that Cloudjumper would be the only case but soon everyone started to request her and send her exotic animals because she did such a good job with Cloudjumper. During that time she was getting swamped with them, I was at the age where every kid was watching _Disney._"_

_"__Yeah. I went through that as well until my dad said I was too old for them."_

_"__Well, my mom got this blue bird that looked like Zazu from _The Lion King _and I called it Zazu. I guess in a way I started it. She then decided to make a list of every animal and their names so that if she got one of those animals, she would already have a name. It's been whittled down considerably but it's still long."_

_"__So what names have been used?"_

_"__Um, Baloo. Sebastian. Mufasa. Jiminy. Scuttle, who comes back occasionally. Mushu. Kanga and Roo. Kuzco. Timon. Pascel. There were many more but I don't remember them all. And now we have Raja and Bagheera."_

_"__Does your mom not like coming up with names?" Astrid asked curiously._

_"__It's not that. It's just that, well, she's not good with coming up with names. It took weeks and seeing Cloudjumper play in the snow to come up with his name. And besides, look at my name. Not even my dad could think of something."_

_Astrid laughed and Hiccup joined her. "You've got a point. Not the best name but I think it suits you. I can't see you with a normal name like Scott or something."_

_"__Yeah, me neither."_

_Just as Hiccup and Astrid entered the backyard with Raja, Cloudjumper, and Bagheera, a car pulled up into the driveway. Hiccup unleashed Raja who went to get a drink and ate some food before he went back to his spot under the leaves while Astrid hooked Bagheera back to the pole._

_"__I'm going to feed the other animals real quick then I'll take you back," Hiccup said._

_"__I'll help. What can I do?" Astrid asked. _I really don't want to go back yet. Dad might still be in a bad mood.

_"__Um…ok. In that shed are some bowls. Can you get those while a get the food?"_

_"__Sure."_

_Astrid went into the shed and looked for the bowls. As she looked, she heard the back door open._

_"__Hi there Cloudjumper!" a feminine voice exclaimed. "How are you?"_

_"__Hi mom," Hiccup said._

_"__Sorry I left you like that son but Vanessa was having trouble with her cats again. Said they kept throwing up."_

_"__Are they ok?" Hiccup asked concerned._

_"__They will be. Vanessa left out a can of meat and they ate it. I gave them something to ease their sickness."_

_"__Did she forget or something?"_

_"__Probably. How did the walk go? Were you able to handle Bagheera and Raja alright?"_

_"__Yeah we did. The walk was-"_

_"__We?" Valka asked confused. "Who's we?"_

_"__Hi Valka," Astrid said as she walked out with the stack of bowls in her arms._

_Valka stared dumbfounded at Astrid as she placed the bowls down and Hiccup began to put food in them. "You helped walk them?"_

_"__Yeah. I thought they were going to be dogs at first but quickly saw that it wasn't the case."_

_"__Hiccup," Valka said with a tinge of fear in her voice. "Did you ask her parents if it was ok?"_

_"__Um..no," Hiccup answered confused._

_Valka sighed and bent down to look at Hiccup sternly. "What if she got hurt?"_

_"__But we've never got hurt. I figured Astrid would be ok."_

_"__We're used to this kind of thing. You're used to it because you've grown up with it. She hasn't." Valka turned to Astrid and smiled. "I'm sorry if you were scared in anyway."_

_Astrid shrugged and smiled. "I'm fine. Besides, it was fun. I've never seen a snow tiger, or a tiger for that matter, so close before. They are really nice."_

_"__I'm glad you had such a positive experience," Valka smiled. She then turned back to Hiccup. "Next time you want to ask someone to help you, ask their parent's permission first. Just for future reference."_

_"__I'm sorry mom," Hiccup bowed his head._

_Astrid saw Hiccup's sudden saddened mood and gesture. She felt sorry for him. _He doesn't like disappointing his parents. Wish I could say the same thing for my dad.

_Valka grabbed his chin and raised it up so that their eyes met again. "I'm not angry with you. You've never invited someone over before. Well, maybe you have and they've said no but the point is this has never happened before. Just next time you ask her over, ask her parents first."_

_"__Ok," Hiccup smiled._

_Valka stood up and looked at Astrid again. "Thanks for helping Hiccup. I was so worried he wouldn't be able to handle it with Raja. I have a hard time sometimes with the new ones."_

_"__Really? Because Raja was like putty in Hiccup's hands," Astrid said._

_Valka turned to Hiccup, who's back was turned to them scooping out food. Unbeknownst to them, he was blushing a bright red at Astrid's words. "Really?"_

_"__Yeah."_

_"__When you two are done, come on inside," Valka smiled. "I'll get you a snack."_

_Valka went inside as Hiccup and Astrid continued feeding the animals. In a few minutes they were done and Hiccup led her inside. Astrid looked around as she followed Hiccup. On the walls, there were pictures of Stoick, Valka and Hiccup through the years. _Interesting. Hiccup hasn't changed much.

_Astrid walked past a door that was opened a crack and saw Stoick sitting behind a desk. Through the crack, she could hear that he was having a heated conversation with someone on the phone. She brushed it off, not really caring for adult problems._

_The further in she went she saw cases of trophies, a mixture of football and academic achievements. Also in display cases there were framed pieces of paper that held a great deal of personal accomplishment._

_Astrid entered the kitchen, which was just like hers and probably everybody else's in the neighborhood. Astrid followed Hiccup to one of the bar stools and sat next to him as his mother walked back and forth from cabinet to cabinet. She then walked over to the fridge and opened it. She went to grab something but then stopped and looked at Astrid._

_"__You're not lactose intolerant are you?" she asked._

_"__Nope," Astrid shook her head. "I'm fine with regular milk."_

_"__Ok. Just didn't want to get you sick."_

_Valka closed the door and Astrid saw several pictures on the fridge of animals. _Probably her past vet animals. _She then saw some hand drawn ones that were quite good. _Those look like they were drawn by someone my age. Maybe Hiccup drew them.

_Astrid was about to ask when a plate of cookies and milk were placed in front of the three of them. Yes, Valka joined them at the bar. _Guess I'll have to ask about them later.

_"__So," Valka smiled at Astrid. "Tell us a little about your life in the big city."_


	11. Chapter 11

Alright! Next chapter! Not as long as the previous but still a good one I think. This takes place the same day the previous chapter did. Just so you're not confused. :)

Anyway, this is very much a Hiccup centered chapter. New development with other characters occurs and another flashback. Ehhh! :D

ENJOY! XD

* * *

Hiccup could barely keep his eyes open as he walked back to his car. All he wanted to do was fall on his bed and sleep for a week and judging by how Astrid performed today, she wanted to do the same thing. He could see that she struggled to keep up with the routine, to keep her body moving fast enough, to stay balanced on her own two feet, but she did it. And she fooled everyone that she was dead tired.

He was so tired, he didn't even feel that he was being watched…again. It was just a tingle in his tired mind and he didn't pay attention to it. He was so tired, he didn't even hear Tuffnut yelling his name until he was right next to him.

"HICCUP!" Tuff called one more time.

"Ah!" Hiccup jumped. "Uh-Tuff. I didn't hear you calling. You scared me."

"Really?" Tuff cocked an eyebrow. "I was calling you all the way from the football field. Are you deaf?"

"No," Hiccup shook his head. "Just tired."

"Oh well. Ok. Have you considered turning it into a deli?"

Hiccup stopped retrieving his keys as he tried to compute the sentence. "Uh-um-what?"

"Turn it into a deli," Tuff repeated.

Hiccup darted his eyes in confusion. "Turn my tiredness into a deli? That makes no sense!"

"What?" Tuff asked. "Why would you do that? HOW would you do that?"

"You just suggested that I do that!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Huh?" Tuff looked at Hiccup like he had two heads before the confusion clicked. "Oh! No, no, no. It has nothing to do with you being tired."

"Then what are you talking about?"

"The ice cream shop."

Hiccup's eyes went wide in surprise. "The ice cream shop? What about it?"

"Have you considered turning it into a deli?" Tuff repeated.

"Oh," Hiccup said. "Um-no. Besides, I don't make those decisions. Gobber does."

"Well, has HE considered it?"

"I don't think so."

"Well he should."

"Why?" Hiccup asked cautiously.

"Because I know a good cook," Tuff smiled confidently.

"Oh. Who?"

"Me!" Tuffnut puffed out his chest proudly.

Hiccup cocked an eyebrow skeptically at Tuff. _This is some hair brain scheme isn't it? Some prank._ He looked around quickly trying to find Ruff and just waiting for her or someone to jump out to scare him. "Really?"

"Yes," Tuff nodded. "Look H master. I know I have a reputation as being crazy and unfocused. The truth is, I act that way to deal with the stress and the nerves."

"Are you serious?" Hiccup asked. He didn't know what to think about this information.

"The truth is, I love cooking!" Tuff threw his hands up in the air excitedly. "I cook most of the meals at home, though sis doesn't know. She thinks mom or dad did it. They can't cook," Tuff whispered.

"Ok," Hiccup nodded uncertain.

"I know you won't believe me so I came prepared." Tuff pulled a storage container out of his gym bag. He opened it to show Hiccup its contents. "These are homemade cinnamon rolls. I made them fresh last night so I could prove to you that I can cook."

"Why would you come to me?"

"Because other business would take one look at me and reject my application. Berk is small Hiccup. People have heard of me. But you're close to Gobber and his business. If I could just get a chance to prove myself, then maybe people would be able to take me seriously."

"You don't know if they'll reject your applications," Hiccup tried to help boost Tuff's confidence. "You should apply anyways."

"Oh I plan too," Tuff agreed. "I just want a back up plan."

"Why haven't you shared this info with the others?"

Tuff's shoulders fell. "I don't know. I feel like my sis would laugh as would the others. They'd think it's lame."

Hiccup's heart went out to Tuff. He understood that feeling all too well. "I don't think Astrid would do that."

"I don't know," Tuff shrugged. He then held out the container toward Hiccup. "Please try one. Just to prove to you that I can cook."

Hiccup looked back from Tuff and the container hesitantly. He wasn't sure if this was such a good idea. He could die of food poisoning or it could just be a prank. _No. It's not. Tuff doesn't have the right exterior expression. He seems sincere._

Carefully, Hiccup picked up one of the rolls and took a bite. He didn't know what to expect but what he tasted blew his mind away. His eyes went wide and his tongue exploded with flavor. The cinnamon was distributed evenly, the frosting wasn't drowning the bread, and the bread itself was perfectly moist.

"Oh my god Tuff!" Hiccup exclaimed. "This is really good! How-I don't-just-wow."

"Yes! He likes it!" Tuff jumped excitedly.

"Like it," Hiccup smiled. "I love it! What else can you do?"

"A lot of things. Pasta dishes, sandwiches, breakfast foods, and everything in between."

"If that's so and everything tastes as good as this, I'd suggest you'd open a business, not work in a restaurant."

"Huh," tapped his chin. "That's not a bad idea. But I still need to get a chance."

"Look," Hiccup placed a hand on Tuff's shoulder. "How about you put together a small menu for the shop? I will talk to Gobber about this. We'll see but I make no promises."

"Yes," Tuff pumped his fist in triumph. "That's better than nothing!"

"I'll see what I can do. Give me a few days."

"Awesome!" Tuff smiled as he put the container away.

"See you tomorrow Tuff," Hiccup waved as Tuff began to walk away.

"See ya!" Tuff called back. He then stopped and turned around, really serious. "Hey H master."

"Yeah," Hiccup faced the twin.

"Why don't you hang out with us?" Hiccup's face fell in a mixture of sadness and awkwardness. "I mean. You're a pretty cool guy and you already hang out with Fishlegs, so why not with the rest of us?"

"Because," Hiccup said softly. "I can't."

"Does this has something to do with what we've done to you when we were younger?" Tuff questioned. "Because I'll admit. We were stupid and extremely rude towards you."

"No, no," Hiccup reassured. "It has nothing to do with that."

"Then what? You'd make a great addition to our group. In a way, you're already a part of it. You're in a least one of each of our classes and you're at practice with us. We should be friends."

"I'd love to be friends with you Tuff," Hiccup smiled. "But I don't think being a part of your group would sit right with Snotlout."

"What happened between you two?"

"I don't know," Hiccup shrugged. He then smiled at Tuff. "But if you ever need any help or want to talk, don't be a stranger."

"Will do H master," Tuff smiled back.

* * *

Astrid fell on her bed completely exhausted. She didn't care that half of her legs were hanging over the side. She didn't care that if she fell asleep in that position that her knees would hate her in the morning. All she could think about was her nice warm bed and the loving embrace of sleep.

She was so tired, she didn't even hear her father come home. He passed her bedroom door, which she forgot to close, and mumbled something along the lines of her being lazy like her mother. Astrid remained still, hoping that he'd continue down the hall and leave her alone. Luckily for her, he did.

However, Astrid's mind wandered through memories of her mother, which led to memories of Hiccup and his family and so much more as she fell asleep.

_Emily was breaking down the last moving box and felt extremely accomplished. She went into her new home, a place where everything could start anew. She sat down and decided to have a cup of tea now that all of the work was done. _Might as well enjoy the perfection while it lasts. _She thought. We all know that a perfectly organized house will not stay that way for long. Just think of your room after you clean it for the first time in weeks. We all know it won't stay clean for long._

_As she sat down on the floral couch, she looked out the window to see Astrid and the other boy she met the other day enter the backyard. She thought that there were animals accompanying them but she wasn't sure. She was about to go over and see if everything was okay when she saw a van pull up and a middle aged woman get out._

Must be the boy's mother. They'll be fine. _She continued to enjoy the peace of the house as she sipped her tea. Harold was out looking at his new office in the tax building and Astrid was enjoying herself with her new friend. _I should find me a friend as well. Maybe one day I will. I'm not like Astrid who can make friends easily. She's a lot like Harold. Very determined.

_Once her cup was empty, she decided to do a little gardening in the backyard. She got on her gardening clothes and her gloves and was halfway out of the door when the doorbell rang. She went to answer it to find the woman she saw earlier, the boy, and Astrid standing in front of her. Her mind began to go into panic mode. _Did something happen? Did Astrid do something wrong?

_"__Hi," she smiled nervously. "Is everything alright?"_

_"__Yes," Valka nodded as she smiled at her new neighbor. "I just wanted to make sure she got back alright."_

_"__Oh," Emily sighed. "Thank you. That's very kind."_

_"__I also wanted to talk to you briefly."_

_"__Oh? About what?" Astrid walked over the threshold of her house to stand next to her mother._

_"__It seems that your daughter and my son have formed a friendship and she's free to come over at any time. However, I just want to let you and your husband know that my occupation is as a vet to exotic animals."_

_"__Exotic? Like what?"_

_"__As in lions, tigers, and bears!" Astrid beamed._

_"__Oh my," Emily's face drained a bit._

_Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other and chuckled. Little did the other know that that was one of their favorite movies._

_"__I also work from home so those animals are living in the backyard. They are not dangerous for they were either tamed before I received them or I tame the before I let my son near them. Your daughter isn't in danger if she comes over I just wanted you to know before Astrid told you and you have a heart attack."_

_"__But I saw her go to the backyard earlier today," Emily said, her face completely horrified of what could happen if they were wild beasts._

_"__I'm afraid that's my fault," Valka smiled apologetically. "My son invited her over not knowing the dangers to other people. We've never had someone outside of our friends and family in the backyard before. He didn't know it was wrong to ask Astrid without asking you first. But he knows now."_

_"__I'm sorry ma'am," Hiccup said with his head hung slightly._

_Emily looked at the boy and then at Valka and at Astrid. Astrid seemed to be alive, a state which she hadn't seen her daughter in such a long time. She then went back to look at the boy and saw how sorry he was. _He didn't know. Besides, Astrid is safe._ She then looked at Valka and smiled._

_"__It was an innocent mistake," Emily smiled. "Kids will be kids." Emily then turned to Astrid and asked. "Did you have fun? Would like to visit again?"_

_"__Yes!" Astrid grinned enthusiastically._

_"__Well," Emily smiled as she put her hands on her hips. "Then it's decided. Thank you um…"_

_"__Valka. And this is my son Hiccup."_

_"__That's right. Hiccup," Emily nodded. "Thank you for letting me know about your exotic animals and Astrid has my permission to go over whenever she likes."_

_Hiccup and Astrid jumped up and down in excitement as Valka and Emily smiled at their antics._

_"__And," Emily continued. "Since we've moved in completely, I'll talk to my husband about having you and your family over for a house warming BBQ."_

_"__There's no need to do that," Valka shook her head. "I know moving is hard and that…"_

_"__No, I want one. It'll be a good way to meet you all at once. Besides, Harold got a new griller for his birthday last year and he needs to break it in. We'll let you know what day."_

_"__Alright," Valka smiled. "I'll let my significant other know. He needs a break from his job anyway. He gets too stressed sometimes."_

_"__I know the feeling. Come on Astrid, we should get dinner started soon."_

_"__Really?" Astrid asked confused. "It's like only 4."_

_"__Well, cleaning freshly picked potatoes takes a while."_

_"__Right," Astrid nodded. She entered the house and then turned to smile back at Hiccup. "Thanks for showing me your zoo."_

_"__You're welcome!" Hiccup smiled back as he waved._

_"__Bye Valka," Emily said as she closed the door._

_"__Bye."_

_The door clicked as the bolt engaged into the wall. Emily and Astrid walked into the backyard, prepared to pick some potatoes, when Emily asked. "A zoo huh?"_

_"__Yeah!" Astrid nodded. "It was amazing!" Astrid told Emily about her day as they continued to prepare for dinner._

* * *

**Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong!**

Hiccup flew off the couch in surprise. He had tried to get some homework done but that reading turned into an awkward positioned nap. He rubbed his eyes and yawned as he sloppily closed his book and placed it on the end table.

As he clumsily got up, he teetered a bit causing him to grab ahold of the couch arm. He shook his head to get rid of the residual tiredness and began to slowly walk toward the door.

**Ding dong! Ding dong!**

"I'm coming!" Hiccup called as he stretched his tight muscles. _If this is some sales person, I'm slamming the door._

Hiccup reached the front door, undid the locks and got the surprise of his life. He blinked several times trying to see if, maybe, he was still asleep. _Well, this is a surprise._

"What are you gawking at?" Snotlout snapped as he pushed past Hiccup and entered the house.

Hiccup pulled against the door handle to keep himself from falling over as he continued to try and register that Snotlout was there. "You," he responded.

"I know I'm fabulous but stop it," Snotlout said as he entered the kitchen.

"Don't flatter yourself," Hiccup scoffed. He quickly closed the door and speed walked into the kitchen to see Snotlout placing his backpack on the kitchen bar. "Look," Hiccup held the bridge of his nose. "If this is some trick or bull shit scheme of yours, leave me out of it. I'm not in the mood." Hiccup began to walk out when Snotlout spoke.

"I need your help."

Hiccup stopped and slowly back tracked to peek his head around the corner. He saw Snotlout's back and shoulders but they weren't square and ridged like they usually were. Instead, they were slumped and relaxed in a way. "Um-what?"

"I need your help," Snotlout repeated a bit softer.

Hiccup entered the room once again and stood behind Snotlout. He was confused. He didn't know what to think. _Ok. Another surprise today._ "Why? With what?"

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said the other day in the locker room," Snotlout turned to Hiccup. "And I've come to a conclusion that my father most likely won't approve of."

"Oh?" Hiccup cocked an eyebrow. "And what would that be."

"I want to have a brain."

Hiccup's face quickly scrunched into confusion. "Uh-what?"

"I want to be more than just muscle. I want to have brains too."

"Oh," Hiccup nodded. "That's great Snotlout!" He noticed that Snotlout wasn't sharing in his enjoyment and tried to support him. "You know it's not bad to have a brain."

"I know that."

"Then why are you-?"

"Because my dad won't approve!"

Hiccup slightly jumped at Snotlout's exclamation. He walked closer to Snotlout and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ok. But let me ask you this. Why have you come to this conclusion of wanting to be smart? To be more than a football player?"

"For several reasons," Snotlout look up at Hiccup. "I won't always be young. I'm going to get too old one day to play professionally. Or what if I'm not good enough for the big leagues? I mean, I'm a big shot here in Berk but what about among all those like me in the Archipelago? I have nothing to fall back on." Snotlout looked down at his feet as he continued to speak. "Or what if I am good enough but then I get a horrible injury that cuts my career short? What then? I'll have no other skills. Nothing else to help me get a job. Or what if I find out I don't like playing big leagues?"

Snotlout looked back up at Hiccup to find a giant, dorky smile on his face. "What are you smiling at?"

"You," Hiccup straightened. "Uncle Spitelout should be proud of you."

"Why?" Snotlout cocked an eyebrow.

"Because you're thinking of these 'what ifs'! You're creating your own path. You are beginning to see your own potential."

"And you're excited for me why?"

"Because I always knew you were smart," Hiccup smiled. "You just needed to see it yourself and accept it." Hiccup took a calming breath. "Now, what do you need help with specifically?"

Snotlout blinked a few times at Hiccup's faith in him. He didn't know how to take it. "Oh-um-physics. Due to my past mentality, I haven't been paying attention since school started. Now I'm completely lost. I heard you're the top in all of the classes."

"I don't know about that but I'll see what I can do." Hiccup walked over and sat on the stool next to Snotlout. For over an hour, Hiccup tutored his cousin on the basics of the problems and helped him along the way of solving them. At first, Snotlout became annoyed and angered at not being able to understand the process but he quickly learned and was becoming more confident in himself in turn.

As the clock struck 9:30 PM, Stoick entered the house. As he passed the kitchen, he noticed the two sitting and talking softly. "Hello son. Snotlout."

"Hi dad."

"Hi Uncle Stoick."

Stoick nodded as he began to ascend the staircase when he stopped. He walked back down and peeked his head around the wall to make sure he saw what he saw. "Snotlout?" he questioned.

"Yes?" he turned.

"Oh," Stoick nodded. "Haven't seen you in a while. Nice to see you two getting along. Carry on." Stoick exited the doorway and went upstairs to take a shower.

"He acted funny," Snotlout shook his head. "He looked at me like I had two heads."

"Well yeah," Hiccup frowned sullenly. "You haven't been in our house in almost three years."

Snotlout looked down at his open books and binders in shame. The inside of his chest began to knot and he felt uncomfortable next to Hiccup. "What happened between us?"

"What?" Hiccup turned to his cousin.

"Between us," Snotlout motioned between them. "What happened?"

Hiccup shrugged uncertainly. "I don't know. I feel like it's always been this way."

"It's stupid. We can't even remember why we're feuding."

"Agreed," Hiccup nodded. He then smiled gently at Snotlout. "But, old habits die hard."

"You're telling me," he snorted. "Even if I wanted to change my attitude towards you, it'll take a few years."

"Try decades, maybe centuries, Snotlout," Hiccup chuckled.

Snotlout snorted as he laughed. "I guess you're right. I might even need a millennium!" And with that, the two freely laughed together for the first time in several years.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys! Sorry for not posting in forever but you know...life and holidays and stuff happens. I hope you guys like this chapter. It's a bit angst-y and stuff but I think you like it. Next chapter there'll be a bit of Stoick and Hiccup.

ENJOY! XD

* * *

Hiccup turned the corner of the hallway and ran right into Tuff.

"Hey H master!" he exclaimed. "Made this menu up to show Gobber. Have you talked to him yet?"

"I did Tuff," Hiccup nodded as he looked over the typed piece of paper. "He said he'd think about it but he wasn't sure. He thinks it'll make things too complicated."

"But he said he'd think about it."

Hiccup cocked an eyebrow. "Yes."

"That's good enough for me!" Tuff danced. "So what do you think of the menu?"

"I think," Hiccup stroked his chin. "I like it. I think Gobber might too. It's simple but I think we can work with it."

"Nice!" Tuff pumped his fist.

"Don't touch me!" a voice hollered.

Hiccup and Tuff peaked around the corner to see Astrid's eyes narrowed, tight shoulders, and reddened face in the face of another student.

"But you weren't moving. I needed to get into my locker," the freshman responded timidly.

"I don't care! Don't touch me! Nobody touches me! Ever!"

"Whoa," Tuff recoiled. "Never seen Astrid that way before."

Hiccup scoffed. "I have."

_Hiccup happened to look out his window at the overcast sky when he saw Astrid run out of her house slamming the door behind her. She marched down the street and headed towards Main Street in a huff. _She doesn't look to happy. I hope she's ok.

_Hiccup decided to follow her and see if she needed a friend. As he exited his house and went down the walkway, he heard angry voices coming from Astrid's house. He ran down the street to catch up with her and saw her enter the grocery store before he lost her completely._

_He looked down the baking isle, the pasta, the breakfast, and the bread isle but couldn't find her. As he past the frozen isle, he spotted her starring at the boxes of frozen strawberry shortcake. He slowly walked up to her and coughed to get her attention but he didn't seem to have snapped her out of it._

_"Um…" he started. He never finished because Astrid spun around and snapped angrily at him._

_"What!" Her expression was hard and very distant. He recoiled back a little, more afraid that she would break a bone of his than he was of her dark eyes. Her face softened when she saw it was him. "Oh. Sorry, Hiccup. I thought you were some stranger trying to make me move."_

_Hiccup relaxed a bit and asked, "Are you alright?"_

_Astrid shrugged. Hiccup saw that her eyes began to brim with tears and she suddenly turned away. "I guess. I just needed to get out of the house. Needed a place to be by myself."_

_"So you went to the market?" Hiccup asked with a cocked eyebrow._

_"I haven't found a place I can go to yet for these kinds of situations. Back in Meridian, it was an abandoned factory."_

I know where I go when I need to be alone. _Hiccup thought for a few more seconds before he came to a decision. He put his hand on her shoulder, which made her jump, and smiled gently. "I want to show you my favorite spot. No one but me knows it exists. I haven't even told my mom or dad."_

_Astrid looked at him confused. "That was a weird turn in conversation." Hiccup shrugged and walked towards the door with Astrid following. "Are you sure you want to trust me with this secret place? You hardly know me." _

_"Yes," Hiccup nodded._

_"Why?" Astrid asked. "Why would you tell me and not your parents?"_

_"Because you might need to use it one day. I want you to know there's a place you can go if you need to get away. It has always comforted me."_

_Astrid shook her head in shock but followed him out of the store and down the street towards the forest. "Alright," Astrid said._

_Astrid and Hiccup walked in silence. Hiccup figured Astrid's mind was occupied with something and didn't want to interrupt. Astrid was thinking about why she ran off and was grateful to Hiccup for not trying to pry it out of her._

_Hiccup led her into the forest and through a circle of trees and followed the stream's flow. Suddenly, the stream just disappeared and their path was blocked by a large fallen tree trunk. There wasn't any way around it except over it but it seemed too large to climb, even for her athletic body. She was ready for Hiccup to turn around and say he's lost when he began to climb the trunk._

_"Wait, you're climbing it?" Astrid asked and looked through the small opening between the trunk and the ground. "There's nothing on the other side."_

_"Not all things are what they seem," Hiccup said as he jumped over the other side._

_Astrid gasped and quickly climbed the trunk in case he needed help. It took a while to find holds big enough for her fingers to grab onto. She got to the top and looked down to see that Hiccup was standing on solid ground and waiting for her to follow him. _

_"You coming?"_

_Astrid looked down and took a leap faith. She jumped and landed but stumbled a bit as she got up. Hiccup caught her arm and straightened her up then entered the small canyon on her right, his left. _

_The rock was slick and grey. It was as if water had smoothed it for centuries. She followed Hiccup as they exited a small opening and what she saw was absolutely amazing. She gasped at the beauty of it._

_"No one else knows it's here?" Astrid asked in disbelief._

_"That's right. No one's ventured beyond the log."_

_Astrid couldn't believe that no one knew this beauty was here. It was a cove, something she believed that she'd only see in her dreams. The walls of the cove were of the same slick, grey rock they passed by but they were infested and interwoven with bushes, ferns, and different sized roots from the outlining trees. The ground was lush with green grass that connected with a small lake on one side of the cove. In the lake, there were small fish jumping out and grabbing small insects making ripples that sparkled in the sunlight._

_"Come on," Hiccup urged as he made his way into the cove. Astrid followed him and continued to take in the marvelous sight._

_"This is where you go when things get too much?" Astrid asked still unbelieving._

_"Yep. It's nice isn't it?"_

_"It's like out of a dream. Like out of a fairytale. It's beautiful." She turned to look at Hiccup and watched as he took his shoes off. "What are you doing?"_

_"I'm going to put my feet in the water," Hiccup said nonchalantly. "You can join me if you want."_

_Astrid smiled and took off her sneakers and sat down next to him. She put her feet in, expecting it to be cold, only to find it was a perfect temperature. It wasn't cold but it wasn't warm either. It was just perfect._

_"This is amazing," Astrid said again._

_"That's like the hundredth time you've said that since I've shown you the forest," Hiccup pointed out. "Have you not seen a forest before?"_

_"Not really," Astrid said as she swung her legs. "We don't have these things in the big city." She then put her hand on his shoulder and smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks for showing me your paradise."_

_"It's not just mine now. It's yours too. If you ever need to get away, it's yours to use."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yeah. I feel guilty keeping its beauty a secret."_

_"You are too cheesy sometimes you know."_

_"You don't know the half of it. I surprise myself sometimes."_

_"Hey Hiccup," Astrid asked. "Can I ask you something?"_

_"Sure."_

_"Why does your last name sound so familiar? I've heard it somewhere before. But where?"_

_"Well…" Hiccup said nervously. "Well, my dad works in Meridian." _

_"Oh. Is he big on the news or something?"_

_"You can say that," Hiccup shrugged._

_Astrid thought about it for a second. She racked her brain of all the news she'd seen or heard in her home or at school. She then makes the connection and her eyes went wide with shock._

_"Oh! Oh! Oh! OH!" Astrid exclaims. "Your dad is the Governor of Berk!"_

_Hiccup smiled sheepishly and looked at Astrid. "Yeah." He looked into the water just waiting for her to get up and leave him. _

_"You're ashamed of his job?"_

_"No, no, no! I'm very proud. It's just-" Hiccup trailed off._

_Astrid saw that Hiccup was sad but also waiting for her to do something._ _For a second, she didn't understand his reaction but then it made sense. She slowly reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder._

_"I'm friends with you and not your dad."_

_"You consider me a friend?"_

_"Yes I do. You're the first person to stay despite me snapping at you."_

_"And you're the first person to treat me like a person and not a mistake. So I guess we've both found a friend."_

_Astrid held out her hand and smiled. "Friends?"_

_Hiccup clasped her hand and shook it heartily. "Friends."_

_Astrid relaxed on her hands and continued to swing her legs in the water while they laid on their backs looking up at the sky. The two watched the grey clouds as the events that dampened her mood began to seep back into her mind. She frowned as the words came flowing back but what she didn't know was that Hiccup sensed the change in her mood._

_"Do you want to talk about it?" Hiccup asked._

_"I don't know what you're talking about," Astrid lied._

_"What got you upset. I'm guessing it has something to do with the argument they were having but I'm-"_

_"Wait," Astrid interrupted and looked at Hiccup. "How did you know they were arguing?"_

_Hiccup shrugged as he continued to look at the sky. "I heard them from the sidewalk."_

_"Oh," Astrid relaxed and laid back down to watch the sky. "I thought you were spying on me or something."_

_"No, nothing like that. I'd make too much noise I think. Anyway, I just want you to know that you have an open ear. I won't judge."_

_"Thanks Hiccup," Astrid said. They were silent for several minutes. Hiccup was enjoying her presence while Astrid contemplated on telling him what had made her so upset. "Yes. It was the argument." Astrid finally spoke._

_"Ok."_

_"It started out with my mom getting angry at him for not telling her that he wasn't going to be home last night. He apparently was out all night and came home early this morning."_

_"Even after you and your mom made dinner and everything?"_

_"Yeah. It was a special meal for us to celebrate us having finished moving. Well, when she was done with her rant, she told him about the BBQ idea and he was pretty cool with it. She ended up telling him about you and your mother which included her occupation and-"_

_"And your dad flipped out."_

_"Pretty much. She told him the same thing that your mom told her but he didn't seemed convinced. Well, it was more that he blamed you for everything. Saying that you were a danger to me and that I needed to stay away from you. Mom defended you but that made him angrier. He said that you were trying to hurt me taking me back to the dangerous animals. I said that it wasn't true and then he snapped at me saying that I was in bad judgment, that I was foolish, that was a horrible person, that I was a disappointment, and so on. Mom snapped at him and I didn't stay around to listen to anymore."_

_Hiccup just looked at her in shock. _Wow, that's some argument. I don't remember if my parents have ever had that kind of argument. _Hiccup saw that Astrid was affected by the argument because her eyes were brimming with tears. _I need to say something.

_"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to cause trouble in your family."_

_"It's not the first time it's happened. They always get into arguments. It's as if anything can make my dad go off. In fact it seems as if they've been getting it more arguments since we moved here."_

_"I'm sorry again. I guess I was a bit reckless. About what your dad said, he's wrong. You're not a horrible person, you're not a disappointment. You're an amazing and surprising girl who can flip a guy twice her size."_

_Astrid smiled as tears threatened to fall down her face. "Thanks Hiccup."_

_Hiccup smiled back. "Anytime."_

* * *

**Astrid was staring at her old house in Meridian. She felt happy, comfortable, and safe. She just stood there taking in the nostalgia of her past life in the big city. Suddenly, it shattered into a million pieces. Astrid fell back in surprise and stared through a dark hole in confusion. She held her chest as she tried to catch her breath, but nothing helped.**

**"Mom?"**

** "It's alright dear." Astrid turned to see her mother smiling. Her face was young and healthy, but something felt off about her. "We have a new place remember?"**

** Astrid nodded as she remembered Berk. She relaxed as she followed her mother down the hall but something was echoing in her ear. She looked at the pictures as she passed them and watched as each one cracked and shattered. She stopped, startled, but the echoing got louder and the cracking continued. Her heart began to race and a shiver went up her spine. **

** She slowly looked behind her to see that the doorway had shattered and the cracking was the wall, floor, and ceiling beginning to shatter like glass. "Mom?" Astrid called out.**

** "Yes dear?"**

** Astrid turned back to her mother only to find her beginning to crack. "No. Mom!" Astrid took a step toward her and the cracking behind her got louder. She took another step and another but the cracking got louder and more intimidating. Astrid finally broke into a sprint towards her mother but before she could reach her-she shattered. "No!" Astrid cried. "Mom no!"**

** As tears began to fall down her face, the cracking began to surround her. She looked back to see the door and the first half of the doorway completely gone. Astrid's eyes went wide as she ran down the hallway. She looked around only to see her house cracking and shattering around her.**

** "No!" Astrid cried out again as she curled up into a ball and held her hands over head.**

** "Astrid?" **

** Astrid looked up from her crouched position and found a hallway intact in front of her. It wasn't her home anymore. It was the school hallway but the cracking was still threatening to engulf this image as well.**

** "Astrid?"**

** She looked down the hall and saw Hiccup walking away from her. He was calling her name and looking for her. She smiled in relief. "Hiccup!" She called as she ran toward him.**

** He turned around and began to walk towards her. He smiled at her as she ran toward him. The cracking could still be heard behind her and she turned to see if it was catching up with her as it did with her mother. It wasn't. As she looked closer at the hallway, Hiccup was encompassed by the cracking walls, but it never was able to touch him. As he walked toward her, the cracks sealed and patched themselves.**

** Astrid smiled in relief. "You wouldn't believe the-" Suddenly, a gust of wind flew past her. She stopped to see her father; eyes wild, a crazed expression, and holding a crowbar. As he ran down the hallway, he hit the walls causing them to shatter. Astrid began to panic for he was headed straight toward Hiccup. "No! Don't please!" she screamed.**

** She began to run after her father but he always seemed too far out of reach. She couldn't reach him in time before he swung the crowbar right through Hiccup, making him and everything around him shatter.**

** Shards flew everywhere making Astrid hide her face as she screamed into the air. She lifted her head to be greeted by darkness. Around her were the voices of her friends and family but she couldn't find them anywhere. He father's voice then overpowered them all.**

** "I warned you!"**

Astrid shot straight up in her bed. Her chest heaved quickly, sweat dripping down her forehead and back. Her wide eyes looked around the dark room trying to focus on something, but it didn't help. The nightmare continued to echo in her thoughts. She wanted to cry but then fear hit her. She sprung out of bed, threw on a jacket and some boots, and exited out of her window. She climbed down the draining pipe and ran across the street.

She looked up at the house in front of her and then ran around the back. She climbed the tree that grew near the side of the house and using muscle memory, opened the window from the outside. She climbed in and shut the window before taking a breath. "I need to see that he's alright."

From the room's door frame, she saw the hallway light turn on and large, heavy footsteps heading towards the door. She rushed to the closet and hid inside, peeking through the wooden slots. The door was opened and the light switch was turned on.

"Hiccup?" Stoick took two steps into the room. "Are you in here?"

* * *

Next chapter will take place directly after this. ;)


	13. Chapter 13

Here's the Stoick and Hiccup I promised. I hope you like it.

ENJOY! XD

* * *

Stoick shrugged his shoulders at the empty room, turned the light off, and walked out the door. Once the hallway light turned off, Astrid sighed in relief. Her heart then began to pick up pace again as she thought about the empty bed. _Where's Hiccup? Why isn't he here? _She began to exit the closet when the hallway light came on again. With eyes wide, she quickly closed the closet door making quite a bit of noise. _I hope Stoick didn't hear that._

The door opened and the light turned on revealing a very tired Hiccup. He ran his hand over his face causing him to spread grease and dirt over his face. Astrid smiled at him, knowing he had no idea his face was smeared. He took his satchel off his shoulder and threw it on his bed then proceeded to take his light jacket off and hang it over a chair.

While rubbing his eyes, he walked over to the bed. Suddenly, Stoick entered the room startling Astrid and Hiccup. "Hiccup?" Stoick asked.

Hiccup cried out alarmed as he jumped back but ended up falling over his bed and landing on the other side. Astrid stifled a giggle as Stoick flinched at the loud thump. "Dad!" Hiccup popped his head from the other side of the bed. "You startled me!"

"Obviously," Stoick motioned to Hiccup's position with his hands. "I thought you were already here."

"Nope," Hiccup stood up. "Just got home. I was at the auto shop and lost track of time." Hiccup then cocked an eyebrow. "What are you doing up? You're usually asleep at one in the morning."

"Aye. That I am," Stoick nodded. "And the only way you would know that is if you're up all the time at one. Is there something you need to tell me?" Stoick's face went serious as he sternly stared at his son.

Hiccup squirmed nervously under his father's glare. "I-I-It's not like I do it all the time," Hiccup defended. "I just lose track of time when I'm fixing and building and-"

Stoick chuckled slightly. "I know. I'm trying to lighten the mood."

"Oh," Hiccup smiled.

"I'm packing. I have a meeting tomorrow morning in Meridian," Stoick explained.

"What for?"

"I don't know," Stoick shrugged. "The congress called for an emergency meeting."

"Ah," Hiccup nodded. "Maybe it has something to do with the drug terrorizing that's going on?"

"Could be," Stoick nodded.

"I suggest you get going or you'll miss it," Hiccup forced a smile.

Stoick noticed this and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just you got back only a few days ago." Hiccup looked down at the floor as he sat down on the bed. He began to fondle the strap of his satchel.

"I know," Stoick agreed softly.

Astrid felt awkward seeing this. It wasn't her place to be spying, but then again she wasn't expecting this to happen. She knew Hiccup missed his dad. He always seemed down when he left and then so much happier when he came back. She felt bad for the two of them because they both looked very sad.

"I put a hundred dollar bill in the egg container for you in case you need it over the weekend," Stoick broke the silence.

"Ok."

"Oh, and Gobber will come by tomorrow afternoon to check on you."

"As he does every time dad. I know," Hiccup sighed.

"Look," Stoick grabbed Hiccup's chin so that he could look at his face. "I worry."

Hiccup smiled. "I know." He pushed Stoick's hand out of the way. "I can see that. I'm not an idiot."

"I never said you were," Stoick crossed his arms over his chest. Hiccup looked up and playfully stuck his tongue out at him. In response, Stoick let out a laugh. It was sincere, from the gut, and utterly fantastic to hear. Hiccup watched him in amazement and slowly his grin got even bigger as he began to chuckle along with him.

Astrid couldn't help but smile like an idiot at the scene. She hadn't seen Stoick or even heard him laugh like that since the first bonfire she attended when she moved to Berk. Seeing him and Hiccup laughing together was a pleasant sight and one she wished she could see more often.

"I haven't laughed that hard in such a long time," Stoick breathed.

"It wasn't even that funny," Hiccup grinned. "What made you laugh so hard?"

"It reminded of me of when your mother and I took you camping for the first time. You had come across a wild baby mountain lion. It was hissing at you from a cliff about 100 feet above you and you responded by sticking your tongue out at it. The cub looked at you confused and ran off. You nodded your head in triumph and went back to what you were doing."

Hiccup squinted his eyes as he looked to the side. "I don't remember that."

"You wouldn't," Stoick assured. "You were three."

"Speaking of three," Hiccup changed the subject. "If you keep reminiscing, it'll be three and you'll never make it to Meridian."

"Right," Stoick nodded as he looked at his watch.

"How are you getting there?" Hiccup inquired. "Even if you leave now, you won't make it by morning. What time is the meeting?"

"Six."

Hiccup's eye went wide. "You're definitely not going to make it. How are you getting there?"

"I have a flight leaving at 1:30."

Hiccup stared at Stoick in a frightened state. His eyes darted across the room looking for something to focus on but settled for the floor. "Oh."

Astrid knew why he reacted this way but Stoick looked at him confused. He bent down and grabbed each of Hiccup's shoulders. "What wrong?"

"Nothing," Hiccup shrugged. "Just be careful ok?"

"Look," Stoick began. "I've been thinking. I think after this term is up, I'm going to retire."

"What!" Hiccup exclaimed. Astrid's eyes went wide as well in shock. "You're still going to run against Drago for senator right?"

"No," Stoick shook his head. "Stop for good."

"Why?"

Stoick walked over to Hiccup's right and sat down next to him. "I feel like I don't know you anymore. When your mother passed, I buried myself in my job and lost sight of you. Even before that, I didn't see you much but Val took pictures, told me stories about you and I felt I knew you. Now," Stoick motioned with his hands as if he was lost. "I'm not so sure. You've grown up. You graduate in about a year. I don't know who your friends are, what your interests are, or who you want to be. I hardly see you as it is because of my job and your schedule but when you graduate, who knows what college you'll be going to or if I'll ever see you after that."

"Dad," Hiccup whispered.

"I want to know you again before you disappear for good."

Hiccup smiled at Stoick. He stood up and tackled him with the most sincere hug a person can give another. Stoick hesitated, taken a bit off guard by the action, but then wrapped his arms around his son. Astrid smiled as she tried to hold back the tears building up in her eyes.

"Dad," Hiccup's muffled voice started. "I want that too." Astrid watched as Stoick smiled and his grip got tighter. "However, you can't retire now." Hiccup pulled away to look at Stoick's confused face.

"Why?"

"Berk needs you more than I do right now. The terrorizing drug people and an entire nation in panic. They need someone like you to keep us safe. You've done an amazing job keeping Berk safe but now the entire Archipelago needs someone like you. They need you more."

Hiccup and Stoick looked at each other in silence, one trying to read the other. "Are you sure?" Stoick asked.

"Yes," Hiccup smiled. He then wrapped his arms around his father again, smiling into his neck. "You're the protector of Berk and soon the Archipelago and I'm proud to have you as my father."

Stoick smiled brighter and hugged his son back. Astrid swore she saw actual tears brimming in his eyes. "And I'm proud to have you as a son."

Hiccup pulled away and smiled. "You'd better get going or you're going to miss your flight."

"Alright," Stoick nodded as he stood up and headed out the door. Hiccup followed him but Astrid could still hear them - barely.

"You'll text me when you arrive at the airport right?" Hiccup asked.

"Aye that I will. And when I land in Meridian."

"Great. And I'll keep some sort of log if any…"

Hiccup's voice could no longer be heard. They had walked out of hearing range of Astrid. She listened as the door opened and closed and then the car leaving the driveway. Next thing she knew, Hiccup was in the room, shaking his head as he sighed. "I'm not getting a wink of sleep tonight until I know he's in Meridian safe. Well," Hiccup clapped his hands together, causing Astrid to jump slightly. "Better get ready for a long night.

He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a clean shirt and pajama pants. As he walked toward the closet, he took off his dirty shirt, making Astrid smile ever so slightly. Her eyes went wide as he opened the closet door and tossed his shirt into the laundry hamper he had in the middle of it. Luckily for her, he didn't see her. He then walked over to small bathroom on the other side of the room and closed the door.

Astrid slowly opened the closet door and began to walk toward the window as she heard the sink turn on and off and on and off. She paused at the window. She didn't want to go back to her home. Astrid thought about the pros and cons of going back but before she could make a decision, the bathroom knob began to turn. She dove behind the bed and watched Hiccup's feet as he walked out. Well, more like foot and prosthetic disguised as a foot.

Hiccup leapt onto the bed making it squeak slightly under his weight. Astrid laid on the floor for a few minutes until she made her decision. Slowly and quietly, she stood up and looked at Hiccup. He had his hand on his cleaned face but over his eyes. He had his phone his chest with his left hand lightly resting on top of it. The hand over his eyes twitched slightly and moved completely as he made eye contact with her.

"Ah!" Hiccup yelped. "Astrid! Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Can I stay here the night?" Astrid asked straight forward.

Hiccup blinked a few times but then nodded. "There's some old shirts and shorts in the bottom draw of my dresser if you want to change."

Looking down at her attire, she noticed she had fallen asleep in the clothes she had worn to school that day. She nodded as she walked over to his dresser and pulled out some clothes that would serve as her pajamas for the night.

"What's wrong? What's happened?" Hiccup inquired.

"Just a nightmare," Astrid shrugged.

"Want to talk about it?" Hiccup offered.

"Not really," Astrid lied. "I forgot what it was."

"But the feeling's still there," Hiccup nodded. "Got it. Completely understand."

Astrid changed into her makeshift pajamas and then joined Hiccup downstairs. They talked all through the night about random and serious topics before the two fell asleep on the couch. Little did either know that the cell phone that was still Astrid's pocket of her jeans had called someone sometime in the night.

And they heard every word.

* * *

Who did she call on accident? Who heard?


	14. Chapter 14

Hey there! Long time no story! Yeah, I'm so sorry about that. It's been tough since I last posted. I do hope you enjoy this chapter.

ENJOY! XD

* * *

Stoick walked onto the plane with slight hesitation. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he walked onto the aircraft. He sighed and walked over to his assigned seat, waiting for the take off. As he sat there, he looked out the window and he liked to believe that he could see the house and Hiccup inside safe and sound. He hated to fly to these sudden meeting for he knew the strain it had on Hiccup. Stoick completely understood. When he could, Stoick would drive or take ferry to Meridian.

"Please take you seats and put on your seatbelts. We are about to take off. Enjoy your trip," the flight attendant announced on the speakers.

Stoick took out his phone.

**About to take off. Text you when I've landed.** Stoick was about to turn his phone off when the response from Hiccup came only seconds later.

**Stay safe. I'll be waiting for that text Dad.**

Stoick smiled as he turned his phone off and leaned back to enjoy the flight. To the other passengers, he was relaxed and care free, but under his closed eyelids, all he could think about was that tragic night.

_It was Christmas Eve in Berk. The snow was deep, the temperature was freezing but the household of the Haddocks was warm with light and happiness. Astrid was over at the Haddocks for a Christmas exchange of presents. Why wasn't she with her family? Well, her mother wasn't feeling well and went to bed early. Astrid wanted to stay to take care of her but Emily insisted that she enjoy the evening with the Haddocks. Harold stayed and watched over her mother._

_ "__Are you sure there's nothing we can do?" Valka asked kindly. "It is Christmas after all. We could bring our cheer over there."_

_ "__Or we can bring her some warm soup," Stoick added. "A lot of people get sick this time of year. A nice bowl of chicken noodle soup helps."_

_ "__Never did for me," Gobber informed._

_ "__That's because you're weird," Valka replied jokingly._

_ "__Now you finally see that!" Gobber exclaimed._

_Astrid and Hiccup giggled together at the adult's banter. Astrid was happy with the Haddocks and she could see that Hiccup was happy to have her there._

_ "__It's alright Valka," Astrid said. "Mom just wanted to sleep. We had our Christmas earlier today. Mom must have been feeling bad all day."_

_ "__I'm sorry to hear that," Stoick smiled genuinely._

_Cloudjumper walked into the room and nuzzled up against Astrid and Hiccup before laying down at Valka's feet. _

_ "__I have something special for the two of you," Valka smiled. "Well, we do." Valka nodded to Stoick. They each brought out a present the size of a book. "Hiccup, I know your journal has been running low on pages so here's one to replace it."_

_Hiccup opened his and saw that it was a brand new journal but on the cover of the plain brown book was a dragon in a circle. _

_ "__Is that my symbol? The one I made up for my Strike Class dragons?" Hiccup asked._

_ "__Yep," Stoick nodded. "I went to fix your window and I happened to knock your drawings over. I saw it and liked it. I showed it to Val and we agreed to put on your next journal."_

_Hiccup jumped up and hugged Stoick tightly. Well, as tightly as he could considering that his arms barely made it past his shoulders. He then turned to Valka and hugged her as well. "I love it!" He beamed._

_Astrid watched the pleasant scene before her with a great smile. She then went to her gift from the Haddocks. She was surprised when she was handed the gift. She hadn't expected anything from Hiccup's parents let alone from both of them. When she saw the present, she gasped then smiled. It was a journal as well but on the front was the same symbol that was on her necklace._

_ "__Did Hiccup give you the design?" Astrid asked in surprise. Hiccup turned around to see what she was talking about. From the look on his face, he was just as surprised._

_ "__I'm actually the guilty party," Gobber sounded proudly. "The design fell out of his notebook one day. I liked the design and copied it. I later approached Stoick and Valka about the design and who it was made for. They were the ones though that came up with the journal idea."_

_ "__You're probably not as much as a writer as Hiccup but we figured that you'd use it for something," Stoick explained. "Even as a paper weight if need be."_

_ "__Stoick," Valka scolded smiling knowing he was teasing. She then turned to Astrid. "I had one when I hit junior high and it help a lot. I even had one through high school. I hope it will help you as it helped me."_

_ "__Thank you," Astrid beamed. "It's beautiful. You guys are too nice to me."_

_ "__Well," Stoick said. "It's the least we could do for being so supportive and kind to us. Especially to Hiccup."_

_Hiccup turned away from them and pretended to look at his journal as his cheeks flushed red. Little did he know that Astrid's cheeks were also turning slightly red._

_ "__Can you feel the love tonight…" Gobber sang in a whisper to Valka and Stoick._

_ "__Stop it Gobber," Stoick chuckled._

_ "__You're not helping the situation," Valka smiled brightly at the thought of her son having feelings for such a wonderful girl._

_Suddenly, the happy moment was broken by a piercing chime that made everyone jump. Hiccup turned around and Astrid looked up as Valka looked at her phone._

_ "__It's Christmas," she huffed. "I'm off until-" she suddenly went silent as she read her phone. Her expression went from annoyed to fearful in seconds._

_ "__What is it Val?" Stoick asked concerning. _

_ "__I have to go to the airport now," Valka said hastily._

_ "__Why?" Hiccup asked as he placed his journal down._

_ "__A very rare animal is dying Europe and if I don't leave now, I could lose my job," Valka explained._

_ "__That seems pretty harsh," Gobber stated._

_ "__It's a rare animal," Valka said. "We have to do everything we can to save them."_

_ "__You can do it mom," Hiccup cheered._

_Valka looked down at her supportive son and smiled brightly. "Thanks. I'll be back as soon as possible." She went into her room and came out in seconds with a carry on suitcase. "Come on Cloudjumper."_

_The snow tiger leapt up and followed Valka out the door to the car._

_ "__Your mom packs fast," Astrid noted._

_ "__Naw," Hiccup shook his head. "She just has one ready in case of something like this. It's happened before."_

_ "__I'll take her," Gobber offered. "You stay and be with Hiccup."_

_ "__Are you sure?" Stoick asked._

_ "__Of course," Gobber said. "What are friends for? You need to spend time with your son. You hardly see him as it is."_

_Stoick looked down at Hiccup who looked back at him. Stoick nodded. "Alright. But be careful. The roads are dangerous with all of the snow."_

_ "__We will," Valka says as she approaches Stoick and kisses him. "Merry Christmas dear."_

_ "__Merry Christmas Val."_

_Valka then turned to Hiccup and kissed him on the head. "I'll see you soon. Merry Christmas Hiccup."_

_ "__Merry Christmas mom."_

_Valka then turned to Astrid and smiled warmly as she hugged her. "Thank you for coming over for Christmas," Valka whispered in her ear. "This has definitely been the best Christmas ever for Hiccup. Thanks for keeping an eye out for him."_

_ "__No problem," Astrid smiled as she and Valka pulled away. "I'll keep doing the best I can."_

_ "__That's all anyone can ask," Valka said. "Merry Christmas."_

_ "__Merry Christmas."_

_Valka jumped into the car and Gobber backed out carefully and raced to the airport as quickly as the snow would let him. Hiccup, Stoick and Astrid watched until the back lights were out of sight and went back inside._

_ "__You'd think the board could wait until tomorrow morning," Stoick grumbled having to lose his wife on the one night the entire family could be together._

_ "__But the animal's dying," Hiccup said. "I'd want the best doctor if I was dying even if it was on Christmas."_

_Stoick smiled at Hiccup. Astrid could see the love he had for Hiccup. "I'd have to agree." Stoick then picked up Hiccup and hugged him tightly making Hiccup blush and hard to breathe._

_ "__Dad!" Hiccup gasped. "Can't-breath-!"_

_ "__Sorry," Stoick said as he put Hiccup down. Hiccup took in a deep breath making Astrid laugh as he held his chest thinking it would help his breathing. "Come on you two. Let's have some egg nog."_

_The three drank and talked and sang songs. Astrid realized that Hiccup wasn't a bad singer and was actually pretty good at it. Stoick wasn't bad either but he was a bit raspy probably due to his deep voice. They continued to talk until Gobber came back letting them all know that Valka took off safely. He then joined them until it was almost eleven at night._

_ "__Alright," Stoick smiled. "You two should be getting off to bed. It's almost midnight."_

_ "__You don't want to catch Santa riding in now do you?" Gobber winked._

_ "__Really?" Astrid asked. "Santa?"_

_ "__Come on," Hiccup played along. "You know the guy that comes down the chimney…"_

_ "__I know but aren't we getting to old for those?"_

_ "__You can never be too old for those kinds of things," Hiccup smiled._

_ "__Valka never was," Stoick agreed._

_Astrid thought about it for a minute and nodded. "You're right. I'll pretend that he'll come tonight. But he normally doesn't."_

_ "__Really?" Hiccup asked._

_ "__The last time was when I was seven I think."_

_ "__Oh," Hiccup said sadly but then his eyes lit up with an idea and he smiled. "But he might this year."_

_ "__I'll see," Astrid said, not seeing the mischievous look in Hiccup's eyes._

_ "__Alright miss," Stoick said. "I'll take you home. Hiccup you should be going to bed."_

_ "__Ok," Hiccup nodded. "It was nice having you over."_

_ "__It was nice of you to invite me over," Astrid said. She started to go out the door when she remembered her present. She turned back around and went to grab it the same time Hiccup grabbed it. Their hands touched and both felt a shock run through them and their hearts quickened._

I like him as a friend. There couldn't be anything more right? _She thought. She smiled while her cheeks got hot as she held her journal close to her. "Thanks again for a great Christmas." She then, in an act of bravery, leapt and hugged Hiccup._

_Behind her, Gobber and Stoick looked at each other knowingly while Hiccup was stunned. He then hugged her back, liking the warmth she gave him._

_ "__You're welcome."_

_Astrid left the house and went to her room, with the journal still clutched to her chest. She thought about the night and smiled as she fell asleep. As the sun peaked through the window, she didn't hear someone enter her room and then leave quietly. When she woke up, she realized she still had the journal in her hands and went to place it on the night stand next to her but stopped._

_She gapped in surprise to see a pair of brown boots and a brown headband on her night stand. She looked closer and found that in the boots, there was wrapped candy and a gift certificate to Wal-Mart._

Santa did come. _Astrid thought. _Who knew? _She got up and went to show her mother, who was in the kitchen making a pot of tea._

_ "__Who are the presents from?" Emily asked with tired eyes and a smile. She coughed a few times but gave Astrid her full attention._

_ "__They're from Santa," Astrid said playing along. She then ran up to Emily and hugged her. "Thanks mom. I needed new boots."_

_Emily was stunned for a second. "But your father and I didn't get those for you."_

_Astrid backed up and looked at her mother confused. "If you didn't then who did?"_

_Emily shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe Santa does exist."_

_Astrid went back up to her room puzzled but still warm inside with happiness. _I don't care who got them for me. They're just what I needed. The headband is pretty too. _She put it on and realized she looked good in it. _I think I'll keep it on.

_As she looked in her mirror, she saw movement in the corner of her eye. She looked out the window to see Hiccup running towards Main Street in a sloppy hurried manner. She then saw Stoick run out and heard him call._

_ "__Hiccup! Come back!" Stoick then bowed his head and went to get the car to look for him._

He looks sad. But it's Christmas. What could make him sad like that? _She decided that she'd go looking for Hiccup too. If he's just as upset as Stoick was, she knew where he'd be._

_She put on the new boots and grabbed her coat. She went outside and headed toward the forest, followed the frozen stream, and climbed the snow covered log. She entered the snow covered cove and saw the sun reflect off the frozen lake, outlining Hiccup._

_She approached slowly not wanting to startle him but as she got closer, she saw something that made her gasp. He was shaking. Not from cold. No. This was crying shaking. His shoulders were throbbing up and down as he hid his face in his arms and legs._

_ "__Hiccup," Astrid said softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Hiccup must not have heard her approach even with the snow crunching under her feet for he jumped at least a foot in the air. He then looked up and quickly looked away wiping at his eyes._

_ "__Hi Astrid," Hiccup said softly with a tired voice._

_ "__You're crying," Astrid noted as she sat down next to him._

_ "__No I'm not," Hiccup lied._

_ "__It's obvious you're crying. What's wrong?"_

_Hiccup turned to her with red, swollen eyes and she gasped. His lashes were clumped together from the tears and his green eyes were fogged with sadness. Down his cheeks were streams from where his tears fell and now threatened to freeze on his face._

_ "__Mom never made it to Europe," Hiccup explained softly. "Her plane exploded over the ocean. She's dead."_

_He then turned away and bowed his head in his arms again and began to cry once again. Astrid was stunned. She didn't know what to say. Just a few hours ago, they were all laughing and having a good time but now they're mourning. Astrid was lost for words. She then decided that words wasn't what was needed._

_She scooted closer to Hiccup and put her arms around him and pulled him closer to her. She then wrapped her arms tighter around him, embracing him in a hug. He leaned into it and nuzzled his face in her chest as he continued to cry._

_Astrid's eyes brimmed with tears and they fell on Hiccup's head which quickly froze into ice. She looked up and thought to herself. _I promise to look after him Valka. I promise.

* * *

Snotlout walked down the nearly empty street, quite proud of how much homework he had accomplished in the past day. He never felt so happy and proud of himself before and he loved that feeling. He was proud that he was breaking away from his father's wants and desires and doing something that he wanted to do, something that made him proud of himself.

He was about to take a step when he felt a pair of hands grab him. He was pulled into the ally way nearby and thrown to the ground, his face digging into the dirt as one assailant put all his weight on his spine. Snotlout tried to fight and turn around to see his attackers but he couldn't.

"Hey!" he started to yell. "Get your h-" A cloth was shoved into his mouth just moment before he felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder, right by the base of the neck. The pain suddenly disappeared, he was lifted up off the ground, the cloth removed from his mouth and shoved back out on the sidewalk. "Who the hell do you think are?" Snotlout spat angrily as he turned to face his attackers but he didn't see anyone.

He continued to look up and down the street for someone who would have looked suspicious enough to be his attackers but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "Ok," Snotlout said, slightly freaked out. "That was weird."

He shrugged as he continued to walk down the street. He didn't feel any different but a few blocks down, his vision began to blur and it was hard for him to keep his balance. He put his hand on the brick wall next to him to keep balance but that's when the realization that he was having a hard time breathing hit him. His eyes went wide as he began to panic. He didn't understand what was going on, what was causing this. In his mind, he wanted to tell his father off but his body refused to move. He grabbed his chest as it heaved violently up and down. He clenched his eyes to try and concentrate on the breathing and only opened when he thought he heard his name being called.

"Snotlout?"

He opened his eyes to see Hiccup drop the bag he was holding and rush up to him. Even through his blurred vision, he could see the worry in Hiccup's eyes.

"Snotlout! What's going on?" Hiccup questioned desperately.

"Hiccup," Snotlout reached out to grab him but he missed and began to fall forward only to be caught by his cousin. "Can't-breathe-"

He felt Hiccup move his body around to get a better grip on him when he heard Hiccup whisper, "Oh my God! God no. Please. Not you."

Before he knew, Snotlout was in the car with the scenery rushing by fairly quickly. The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by white, beeping, and a smell of sanitation. "Hiccup." He mumbled. Snotlout saw Hiccup lean over him, his lips moving but not being able to hear anything. Darkness began to engulf him and in a matter of seconds, darkness is all that he saw.

* * *

"So where were you Friday night?" Harold asked.

Astrid snapped her head towards her father in surprise at the sudden topic change. "Huh? What?"

"You weren't in your bed Saturday morning," Harold eyed Astrid suspiciously as he swished his soda around.

"Oh," Astrid's heart began to beat fast. "I was at Ruff's. She called me having some girl crisis which ended up taking most of the night.

Harold starred her down trying to find some hint of a lie, making Astrid's stomach knot in fear of getting caught. The stare down was broken by the waitress who walked up. "Is there anything else I can get for you today? Dessert perhaps?"

Harold turned to her and gave her a very pleasant smile. "No. That will be it."

"Well, have a fantastic night," the waitress nodded to the two of them.

Harold snapped his head back to Astrid, his smile completely gone. "I don't believe you."

"It's the truth," Astrid lied.

"If that's so," Harold pulled out his phone. "Then let me give her a call."

Astrid's heart beat faster and faster with every push of the buttons. _Oh no! I'm so busted. Keep it together. Don't panic._ She could hear the phone ringing on the other end and she prayed that no one would answer until she could tell Ruff to cover for her-but someone did answer.

"Yes. Can I talk to Ruffnut? This is Astrid's father." Harold glared at Astrid as he waited for the correct person. "I have a question for you. Was Astrid at your place all night Friday?" Harold's confident smile dropped. "Oh. She was?" Astrid tilted her head in confusion. "Thank you." He hung up and cocked a frustrated eyebrow at Astrid. "Well, I guess you were telling the truth."

Harold got up and paid for the food as Astrid slowly got up, confused by Ruff backing her up. She pulled out her phone.

**Thanks 4 backing me up. How'd u know?**

**Ruff: Grl. I got ur back. **

* * *

Let me know what you think! XD


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey there! Happy Annual Update!**

**(dodges flying objects)**

**Jumping puppers and dancing dogos! I promise I won't disappear for another year! Ok, so I can't promise that but I do apologize for being away for so long. The last year has been crazy with school, Comic Con, work, and hospital visits so...yeah. **

**I really hope that you guys like this chapter. **

**~Enjoy~**

* * *

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Snotlout hated that stupid alarm. He contemplated sitting up and smashing it so that it would never bother him again but he knew he'd have to get a new one and the cycle would start all over again. He mentally sighed debating on whether to wait for his Mom or Dad to turn it off and force him up or if should get up on his own; he decided to turn it off himself.

He went to open his eyes but he seemed to be struggling, like they were glued shut. As he continued to struggle, his other senses began to kick in causing him to wonder where he was. He knew he wasn't in his room, that much he knew for sure. The room smelled too…pristine and opened. He felt that the blanket over him was too thin and light and the bed he was lying on was to stiff and small. This wasn't good news for him.

Snotlout continued to struggle with opening his eyes. He needed to know where he was. He hated not knowing his surroundings. Finally getting somewhere, Snotlout could see blurry figures sitting at the foot of his bed. He noticed two were blondes and the other had darker hair. Finally able to focus a bit more he realized that Astrid, Ruffnut, and Hiccup were the figures sitting at the end of the bed.

"What if doesn't wake up?" he heard Hiccup ask.

"He's tough," Ruffnut responded. "He'll pull through."

Astrid put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and gave him a weak smile. "Things will work out. The doctors will be able to figure out what is in his system."

"I overheard the doctors," Hiccup said. "They don't know what it is. Just like with everyone else."

"Does this drug really have the possibility to kill him?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup nodded. "They said if he doesn't wake up soon, Snotlout could die. His body is refusing the nutrients from the IV."

"Is anyone else in here for the same thing?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yes," Hiccup answered. "But it's not good."

Snotlout didn't like what he was hearing. He tried call out to get some more answers but he was having trouble making a sound. He knew what he wanted to say but the words weren't coming out of his mouth. He was getting really frustrated.

"What do you mean it's not good?" Ruffnut asked.

"Dagur's sister, Davina, came in a couple of days ago," Hiccup explained. "She didn't make it. They called it last night."

Ruff and Astrid looked at each other in shock. Snotlout didn't know how to respond to that information either. His gut began to knot just thinking that he could have wound up in a grave. He tried speaking again but it didn't work.

"That is-I don't know what to say," Astrid said.

"That won't happen to Snotlout," Ruff said. "Snotlout is too stubborn."

"Damn…right," Snotlout managed to whisper weakly.

The three snapped their heads to look at Snotlout, their faces lighting up with joy. "Snotlout!" they all cried at once. The three ran over to the bed with Hiccup putting a hand on his right shoulder, Ruff grabbing his left hand, and Astrid holding his right.

"How are you feeling?" Hiccup asked as he pressed the nurse button.

"Like I was tackled by ten 300 pound guys," he responded. "I'm having a hard time moving. How long have I been here?"

"About two days," Ruff smiled.

"Your parents and your uncle are here," Astrid informed. "They've been trying to find some answers as to what happened to you."

"When they find out," Snotlout tried to get more comfortable but failed to move. "Can they let me know?"

The door opened behind Hiccup and Astrid as Snotlout's parents, Stoick, a nurse and a doctor came in. "My boy!" his mother cried. "You're okay!"

"What happened?" Spitelout asked.

"How are you feeling?" Stoick asked.

The nurse gently moved Astrid and Hiccup aside so the he and the doctor could get closer to Snotlout. As his family asked questions about his wellbeing, the Doctor and nurse began to jot down numbers and doing several simple tests until the Doctor finally spoke up.

"What can you tell us?" she asked.

"Um…," Snotlout puzzled as he tried to remember anything. "I was just walking and then everything went fuzzy and black. I'm not sure of anything in between. I do remember pain around the base of my neck like I had a headache or something."

The nurse gently began to sit Snotlout up and looked at his neck, moving his hair to find anything. "Doctor," the nurse said. "Look."

"What?" Snotlout asked. "What is it?"

"Jason. We need to get a picture of this for the file."

Jason nodded as he lay Snotlout back on the bed and he left the room. The Doctor turned to Snotlout and continued to ask questions. "Where did this happen?"

"I don't remember," Snotlout said.

"I found him near grocery store," Hiccup informed. "Food and More."

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Sore and tired."

"Hungry?" the Doctor asked.

"Not really."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Maybe a few minutes," Snotlout tried to shrug. "But it was a chore to even open my eyes or speak."

"Interesting," the Doctor jotted that information down. "Is there anything else that you think I should know?"

"I don't think so?" Snotlout shook his head.

"I have a question," Spitelout spoke up. "What did you find on the back of his neck?"

The Doctor turned to the adults as she explained. "We found a bruise from what looks like a forced puncture wound from a needle. A syringe to be precise. We had suspicions that it was the drug but now that we found the puncture site, we know for sure."

"Wait," Stoick interjected. "You didn't know that he was another victim of the mystery drug? But you said that he was."

"In truth," the Doctor adjusted the clipboard in her hand. "We didn't know. However, when your son brought him in and seeing the symptoms he was portraying as well as your nephew's medical history, we thought it was a safe bet to assume so and treat him as we have treated the others. Meanwhile, we did run some other tests to make sure that it wasn't anything else causing the problems and all those tested as negative. We began to run substance tests and just like the others, the results didn't make sense."

"So the only common denominator is the bruises?" Hiccup asked. "For all the victims?"

"It looks that way."

"And it looks like you were right, Hiccup," Stoick smiled.

"I wish I wasn't," Hiccup frowned. "It would be nice to more to go on."

"I agree," the Doctor nodded. "But at this point, I'm just glad we can identify the victims. I will be spreading the word here to look anywhere on the body. Snotlout is the first one to have the bruise by his neck."

"This is getting out of hand," Stoick huffed. "These people are getting away with this and we have nothing to go on! Several people have died and it feels like we are at the hands of these maniacs."

Ruff tapped on Astrid's shoulder. "Let's leave them to this and get a coffee or something." She then turned to Snotlout. "We'll be back later."

Snotlout nodded and watched as the two girls left the room and Jason come back in with a camera. He gently sat Snotlout back up and took a few pictures of the back of his neck then laid him down with an extra pillow to keep him propped up a bit more. "Here's the bed controls," Jason said as he handed Snotlout a control. "If you want to sit up or lay down more."

"Thanks."

"Please," the Doctor motion towards the door. "Let us continue discussing outside so he can sleep."

Hiccup sat in the chair besides Snotlout as the adults walked out. "I'll stay here."

Once the others were out of the room, Snotlout looked to his cousin and saw a weird combination of emotions cross his face. _It's like he's pissed and worried at the same time. What the hell?_ "Are you ok? You look-"

"What?" Hiccup snapped. "Mad? Hell yeah I'm mad!"

Snotlout flinched at the outburst. He had never seen Hiccup like this and it was freaking him out. "What did I do?"

"You got hurt!"

"It's not like I wanted to get hurt let alone pumped with a drug that could have killed me so why are you mad at me?" Snotlout was getting annoyed, frustrated and mad. He didn't like being accused of doing something on purpose.

"Because you could have died!"

He didn't know how to respond. Snotlout's face relaxed and his frustration completely left his body as he watched Hiccup. He watched as Hiccup's face softened and bow his head, his hair trying to hide his face.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup spoke softly. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I know it wasn't your fault. It's just…"

Hiccup trailed off leaving Snotlout in the dark. "Just what?" he asked. He wanted to know what his cousin was thinking, why he acted the way he did.

"It's just that I have enjoyed us being friends," Hiccup explained as he looked up. Snotlout could see he was on the verge on tears and fighting to not let them fall. "We've spent so many years at each other's throats that what we're trying to do now is something special."

Snotlout kept quiet. He knew not to interrupt Hiccup in the middle of one of his confessions and he actually wanted to hear what he had to say.

"In a way, it's like getting a family member back." Hiccup looked down at his feet as he continued. "So when you said that you couldn't breathe, when you weren't responding properly to the doctors, or when they said that you were another victim, I was afraid I was losing another family member."

Snotlout looked down at his lap. He kneaded a section of the sheet as he tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to him. He wasn't used being told that he was important enough to cause someone to freak out like that.

"I was afraid of being alone."

"But you're not alone," Snotlout finally spoke. "You have your dad, my Dad, my Mom, Gobber, and friends."

"I know," Hiccup nodded. "But since losing Mom, I guess I've always had this fear that I could lose everyone abruptly and I'd wind up alone."

"I didn't know you dealt with that. Does your dad know?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No. And he's not going to. He has more important things to worry about what with this drug attackers and a panicked country."

"How about Astrid?"

"Wha-what do you mean?" Hiccup stammered.

"You two were close friends when Aunt Val died. Sometimes I feel like you still are but did you tell her?"

"Not like that," Hiccup rung his hand. "But I think she has some sort of idea."

"For a guy who has a lot of feelings, you don't voice them enough," Snotlout chuckled.

Hiccup looked at his cousin and chuckled along with him. "Shut up."

* * *

Astrid was silent all the way to the café shop just down the street from the hospital, her mind occupied on the events of the last couple of days. She never thought in a million years that someone close to her would have been attacked by those scumbags.

"What do you want?" Ruff asked.

"Huh?"

"The guy wants to know what you want," Ruff pointed to the teen behind the register.

"I'll take a large tea. Black," she smiled.

"We have Earl Grey or English Breakfast," the teen listed. "Which would you like?"

"One of each."

The cashier nodded and rung up the amount, sending the ticket to the back once the balance had been paid. Astrid followed Ruff over to a table and sat down but she stared aimlessly at the table, still trying to wrap her mind around everything going on. _Why is everything going to shit this year? It doesn't make sense. The drug people almost killing Snotlout, my Dad being even more of an ass than normal, and with college around the corner this is just too much._

"Hello!"

Astrid flinched seeing a hand waving just an inch from her face. "Huh? What?"

"Where is your head?"

"Huh?"

"Cause it's not here. I've been talking to you and you are acting way too much like a statue: non responsive."

"Sorry," Astrid sighed. "It's just-"

"There's a lot on your mind," Ruff finished. "I get it. And you don't have to apologize. I wasn't talking about much. I just wanted to know if you're alright."

"Yeah, I'm ok. It's Hiccup and Snotlout I'm worried about."

"I know, right? And I wanted to be the first one to get close to the Grimm Reaper."

"You have a death wish?" Astrid asked confused.

"No. I just wanted to get close enough to prank him or something and maybe freak my brother out in the process."

"That's not something I'd joke around about."

"I know," Ruff nodded. "But that was like years ago…last week. I can change my mind."

"Astrid. Ruff."

Both girls stood up and grabbed their drinks and began walking back toward the hospital. A cold wind picked up causing both girls to shiver in their thin jackets.

"Really?" Ruff sighed. "Can't we have a late winter instead of an early one? I'm getting tired of freezing in those stupid cheer uniforms."

"Me too. I'd like to feel my fingers holding the pom-poms. That or you'd think that they'd build an indoor field or something knowing the weather of this town."

"Oh my God! I think I found another petition to start. 'Save Muscles and Cheer. Play Football All Year!' What do you think?"

Astrid laughed, welcoming the distraction. "How is it you can make petition titles out of midair? You should go into reporting or something."

Ruff pondered for a second or two. "You know, maybe I will. And maybe you should be a counselor."

"Where did that come from?"

"The way you comforted Hiccup in the hospital. I'm surprised you're so chill being seen in public with him."

"Wait, what are talking about?"

Ruff's eyes went wide and she went to take a sip of her drink as she spoke. "Nothing."

Astrid grabbed Ruff by the arm and stepped aside on the sidewalk and looked around to see if anyone was nearby. "What did you mean by me and Hiccup being seen together in public?"

Ruff looked around and then sighed as she looked down at the floor. "I may have, accidently, decided to eavesdrop on you a few the Friday you stayed with Hiccup."

"What!" Astrid yelled, quickly recovering and whispering. "What?"

"In my defense, you're the one that butt called me in the middle of the night," Ruff shrugged. "I answered and once I realized who I was hearing and that you had no idea that you were being listened to, I decided to see where that would go so…I continued to listen."

"What!"

"I know! I know! I shouldn't have but I was curious as to why you were with him considering that you two hadn't been friends since like before high school and boy! Did I get a surprise! I never expected what you two talked about. I only listened for about an hour then I hung up but I figured out what was going on. Then when your called asking where you were on Friday, I wondered why he was asking but knowing you're dad, he was probably confirming something you told him so I played along. I knew what I did was right when I got you text."

"You have no idea how right you are."

"Since that phone call, I figured that you two want to keep your dad in the dark about your continued friendship but I couldn't figure out why. I figured you'd tell me when you were ready."

Astrid looked at her friend while clenching and releasing her fist. _Oh my God. What do I do? She knows about us but what do I do? Do I tell the same lie? What? _

"Are you going to tell me or are you not comfortable?" Ruff asked. "It's okay of you're not ready."

Astrid sighed. "No, I should tell you. But you can't tell anyone."

"Okay. Lips sealed."

"My Dad threatened that…he'd move me across the country. Cut off all contact with everyone here."

"Holy shit!" Ruff exclaimed. "What the hell is wrong with your dad?"

"I don't know but that's why we're trying to keep it a secret. I've made a lot of good friends and I don't want to lose you guys."

"Whoa. Don't worry. My lips are sealed and your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, Ruff."

"Now let's get back to the ex-friend of yours and his cousin."

* * *

**Let me know what you guys think! XD**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey there! Here's hoping that you are all doing well. From here, things are going to gain momentum. I'm sorry for the long hiatus but I hope that I will be finishing this story soon. I promise I won't disappoint.**

**~Enjoy!~**

* * *

Alvin and Eret watched as Hiccup and Stoick entered and left the hospital for the next couple of days. Each day they reported their observations, even if it was the same. They sat in the cluttered car as they continued their monotonous activity.

Lowering his binoculars, Alvin gave out a frustrated sigh. "This is too much."

"What?"

"They're not doing anything interesting," Alvin grumbled. "Just normal family things. Coming to check on their kin, go about their day, check on their kin, eat dinner, go check on their kin. I'm going crazy!"

"Maybe it's a little boring but at least we're getting paid to do very little."

Alvin nodded as he grabbed a few chips. "True, but I wish there was something interesting to watch. It's like watching a boring soap opera."

"A what?" Eret asked.

"They were popular before your time." Alvin waved his hand as if swatting a fly. "The point is these are normal people."

"Agreed," Eret nodded. "I don't see how they are a threat."

"We're being paid to watch, not ask questions."

Eret nodded as he took the binoculars from Alvin and watched the Haddocks leave the hospital and head home. He started the car and followed them once down the familiar roads once again.

* * *

Snotlout struggled to put his jacket on in the hospital room. His body was stiff from lying in the uncomfortable bed for several days, not to mention being attacked. He stood up and slowly walked out of the room towards the door and saw his parents signing some papers at the nurse's station.

"Hey, Snotty!"

Snotlout yelped as he jumped, groaning because his muscles hated the sudden movement. "What the heck Ruff?"

Ruffnut just laughed as she patted his back. "You jumped so bad."

"Well, yeah. I wasn't expecting anyone here except my parents."

"True," Ruff nodded. "That's why I did it. I never miss an opportunity to make you jump."

Snotlout just stared at her. "Where's your other half?"

Ruff blinked for a second. "Oh! You mean Tuff? I don't know. Probably doing something that will get him killed."

"Shouldn't he be at school?" Snotlout asked.

"Like I said, doing something that will get him killed."

"Shouldn't you be there?"

Ruff shrugged. "I ditched. Hiccup wanted to come but his Dad said that he missed enough school and Astrid's Dad is being a butt so she's at school too. So, I'm here for both of them."

Snotlout smiled. He was grateful for the support from his friends. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

"Hey! What are friends for?"

Snotlout began to walk towards his parents but his leg muscles weren't ready for so much activity let alone holding his weight. Snotlout held out his hands to brace himself for contact with the floor but he never hit it. Looking behind him, he saw that Ruff had grabbed him around the torso and stopped his fall. "Thanks," Snotlout said as she straightened him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. My legs feel like Jell-o though."

"Welp," Ruff sighed. "You're an invalid now so I'll help you to the car." Ruff grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, putting her free arm around his torso to help him out of the building.

He never thought that he'd be helped out of the hospital but Snotlout was secretly grateful. He smiled as Ruff concentrated on the path ahead of them. Something about her made him a bit nervous being held by her, a feeling that he couldn't quite place. When she turned to look at him, he smiled even wider feeling his ears getting red.

Spitelout caught up with the two and opened the back door and helped Ruff get Snotlout into the car. Once in, he could feel his body relax now that his muscles weren't trying to keep him moving. He suddenly felt a breeze brush over his skin, making him open his eyes and see that Ruff had entered the car as well. He looked at her in confusion but he didn't have to open his mouth to get an answer.

"Your dad thinks I should help you get into the house," Ruff explained. "I guess he doesn't mind me skipping school."

"He kind of thinks it's stupid considering my athletic abilities."

"Ah!"

Once his mother entered the car, the four drove home in silence. Snotlout laid his head back, wanting to fall asleep but decided to hold it off until he got into his bed. After a while, he felt like someone was staring at him and opened his eyes to see that Ruff was squinting at him.

"What?"

"I was deciding if you fell asleep or if you just died on us or something," Ruff relaxed. "Knowing you, you would just drop dead on us."

"Hey!"

"What?" Ruff laughed as she punched him in the chest making his gasp. "I'm joking."

Snotlout put a hand on his chest a rubbed where she hit him as he watched her look out the window. He could feel his ears getting red again but now his cheeks were burning as well. He turned to look out the window as well, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. As they turned the corner, the answer came to him and his eyes widened with shock.

_Oh, no._

* * *

Hiccup closed his locker and headed off of the school campus. He dodged the overexcited student body as they screamed through bull horns reminding everyone of the Homecoming Dance later that evening. He could care less due to everything else going on. Snotlout being attacked and almost dying, the game only a few hours away, his dad working on getting ready to announce his candidacy, and Dagur being on campus to play their team.

_I wonder how Dagur's doing since his sister died. I wonder how he'll play. I hope he isn't going for blood._ Hiccup shivered at the thought of any of his friends getting hurts tonight; especially Snotlout. Hiccup was against Gobber putting Snotlout on the team for Homecoming but he proved that he was well enough to play and in all honesty, Hiccup liked how happy it made his cousin to be back on the team. Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed his name being called.

"Hiccup! Yo, H. Master!" Tuff called.

He careened toward him with such great speed that Hiccup thought that he would crash into him but it didn't happen. Tuff went from speed to stand still in a split second and stood in front of him. "What's up Tuff?"

"I'm in big trouble, H. Master."

Hiccup's eyes went wide. "What are you talking about?"

"Ok. So I lied. I'm not in trouble. _We _are in trouble."

Tuff looked down the hall and motioned with his hands. Hiccup followed his line of sight and watched as Fishlegs walked around the corner sheepishly and approach the two. Hiccup's face dropped in shock and confusion and the two blond boys stood in front of him. "Hey, Hiccup," Fishlegs waved.

"What trouble could you two possibly be in?" Hiccup asked. "Fishlegs, you never break the rules."

"Rules?" Fishlegs asked.

"Oh, no, H. Master," Tuff clapped Hiccup's shoulder. "You misunderstand. We're not in trouble in the typical, Thorston sense. We're in trouble in the dance sense."

Hiccup cocked an eyebrow. "I-I don't understand."

"I was asked to the dance the other day," Fishlegs explained. "And I don't have a tux to wear."

"And my sister, don't know what came over her, just told me that she bought tickets for the two of us. I hadn't planned on going so I don't have one either."

Hiccup looked back and forth between Tuff and Fishlegs. Smiling, he chuckled, "So why do you need my help?"

"We need a third opinion," the two said in unison.

"Third opinion? On what?"

"On tuxes," Fishlegs twiddled his thumbs.

"What?" Hiccup asked. "Why come to me?"

"Well, your dad is the Governor and you must have some experiences in wearing tuxes and know what to look for," Tuff explained. "And being that I've never worn a tux in my life and will probably burn it when I'm done, I'd be no help to Fishy."

Hiccup sighed as he looked at Fishlegs' pleading look. "Alright, I'll go with you, but we have to be quick. We need to be back in time for the game."

The three got into Hiccup's car and headed into town. Along the way, the three discussed their hopes and predictions for the game. Tuff hoped that someone would get injured while Fishlegs hoped that they won by a landslide.

"What about you, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked. "What are you hoping for?"

Hiccup shrugged as he pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. "I don't know. I would be awesome if we won, which I think we will based off practice, but I would like to avoid any injuries."

"You're no fun sometimes H. Master."

The three headed towards the small tux shop and entered. "Does Snotlout already have one?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yep," Hiccup nodded as they began scanning the racks. "When he was able to support himself, he went and rented one."

From behind a curtain, a man walked towards the three boys. "Can I help you gentlemen?"

"We are looking for a tux," Tuff said.

"I think he knows that," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "This place only has tuxes." Hiccup turned to the associate and smiled. "They've never worn one before but I think I got it. I'll let you know if we need help."

"Take your time gentlemen," the associate nodded and went back to his work.

Hiccup looked through the different racks and pulled a few off for Tuff and Fishlegs. "These should fit. Go ahead and try them on."

The two went into the changing rooms and began to try on their sample tuxes. "Um, Hiccup. All of these don't fit around my shoulders or arms," Fishlegs said.

"Mine are a little too long and baggy," tuff added.

"Hold on," Hiccup called as he went back and mental adjusted his measurements. "Here," Hiccup added them the new suits. "Try these."

Hiccup waited for about a minute before Tuff flew open the door and struck a pose. "Do I look awesome of what?"

"Stand normally and I'll tell you," Hiccup rolled his eyes again. Tuff relaxed so that Hiccup could look the suit over. Hiccup liked the way it looked on him. It accented his shoulders nicely, it looked nice buttoned or unbuttoned, and the pants didn't bag or drag putting the look together nicely. "It's perfect Tuff. I think we found your tux."

Tuff pumped his fist as Fishlegs walked out of the dressing room. The two watched as the boy hunched his shoulders even more than usual. "Fishlegs? What's with the stance?"

"It's the top, Hiccup. I'm afraid that if I relax my shoulders, I'll rip it."

Hiccup walked over and tried lifting the collar a bit but it wouldn't move. It was flush to his skin and the fabric looked extremely strained. "Go ahead and get out of it. The good thing about this store is it lets you mix and match. People are not built like mannequins." Hiccup walked around until he found a jacket and shirt that looked big enough for his large friend. "This should work better."

Hiccup turned around to talk to Tuff but he was gone. He figured that he was back in the room changing into his original clothing. A minute later, Fishlegs walked out of the room. Hiccup smiled at his friend, seeing that he was standing normally and that he was donning a small smile. "How do you feel?"

Fishlegs moved his arms around and did a few bends at his waist. "It feels good. Not tight, not loose. How do I look?"

"Come see for yourself." Hiccup guided Fishlegs to a large mirror. "See?"

Fishlegs' smile got brighter as he turned his body different ways to get a better look. "Do you think Julie will like it?"

"So she's your date?" Hiccup smiled. "I think you'll knock her dead." Another figure in a tux appeared in the mirror. "Tuff. Where have you-What are you doing with another tux? If you're looking to actually purchase one, that one is a little long for you."

"Oh, H. Master," Tuff chortled. "It's not for me. It's for you."

"What? I don't need one."

"If you're going to the dance you do."

"But I'm not going to the dance," Hiccup reminded.

"Didn't they tell you?" Tuff laughed even more. "You're signed up to work concessions."

"I didn't know you signed up Hiccup," Fishlegs smiled.

"What!" Hiccup exclaimed. "I didn't."

Fishlegs looked at him confused. "No, you didn't," Tuff agreed. The two boys turned to him waiting for an answer. "I did."

"Tuff!" Hiccup cried. "Why would you do that? What if I had plans after the game?"

"Do you?"

"No, but that's-"

"Then you shouldn't have a problem," Tuff interjected.

"I don't think that's the point," Fishlegs tried to help Hiccup out.

"Why did you do that?" Hiccup asked calmly.

Tuff shrugged. "I figured that I'd have someone to hang with. If my sis wanted to go then maybe there's someone she wanted to go with or she's just going to give Astrid some company. The point is I'd be alone at a dance I really don't want to be at. The only possible person I'd be able to hang out with would be Fishy but that's only if his date goes sour."

Fishlegs looked a bit panicked at the thought of things going wrong tonight. Hiccup placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "I sure it won't. You're a sweet guy." Fishlegs relaxed and smiled. Hiccup turned back to Tuff and sighed. "Alright, alright, I'll go but don't sign me up for things unless you ask me first."

Tuff pumped his fist. "This is going to be awesome! Three bachelors crashing a dance."

"I have a date," Fishlegs reminded.

"Oh, right. Two bachelors crashing a dance!"

"I'm working concessions, you're crashing the dance."

"Yes!"

* * *

The air was getting cold in the late dusk sky. People were beginning to see their breath as they filtered into the stadium for the big game. Down on the field, Astrid watched as her peers came in screaming and dressed in school spirit to support their football team. She smiled as she stretched for the upcoming routines.

She continued to look around the stadium until her eyes landed on the familiar mop of brown hair a few yards away. He was holding a clip board and it looked as if he was checking things off. Once he was done, he bent down and picked up a baseball hat and put it on his head which made the ends of his hair stick out in upside down waves. She giggled to herself at the sight.

As she continued to stretch, the team from Berserker High walked onto the field and began to practice a few passes. She switched directions of her stretching so that her back was towards the entering team and Hiccup. She continued to stretch until she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"What's up, Ruff?" Astrid asked.

"You should go comfort your boyfriend."

Astrid looked over at Snotlout to see if anything was wrong, but he looked pumped and excited. "What's wrong with Snotlout?"

Ruff cocked and eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. She tilted her head in a different direction other than Snotlout's.

"Hiccup?"

"Duh."

"Not so loud," Astrid held her hands up to quiet Ruff. "Why?"

"I don't know," Ruff shrugged. "I think Dagur said something to him and now he looks like a lost puppy."

Astrid stood up and looked in Hiccup's direction and did notice an obvious difference in his demeanor. She walked over there and pretended to get a drink from the cooler. Looking around to make sure no one was in earshot, she began to speak. "Are you alright?" Hiccup mumbled something that sounded like a 'yeah'. She turned around and stood next to him to get a better look at his face. "You don't sound alright. What happened?"

"It's nothing really," Hiccup nodded and pretended to show Astrid something on the clipboard. "Dagur just said some things that got under my skin."

"What did he say?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I went to give my condolences about his sister and he just snapped at me."

Astrid looked at Hiccup and saw something in his eyes. _He's not telling me everything. _She was about to question further when Gothi called for the cheerleaders to gather for a quick meeting. Hiccup gave her a small smile as she said a quick goodbye. That small smile made her insides churn in a way that made her smile.

The rest of the night went as hoped. The night didn't get to cold so the routines were actually enjoyable, no one got too injured on the field, and their team won in a landslide. Overall, it was an enjoyable night and it wasn't anywhere done yet. Now she and Ruffnut were standing in the women's locker room getting ready for the dance that had started.

"I never thought I'd wear a dress," Ruff laughed as she looked down at her yellow sundress. The strapped dress circled her neck and showed a bit of her collar bone. The skirt poof-ed out just a little bit but enough that it accented her figure nicely. "And I know why. This is a bit uncomfortable."

Astrid laughed at her friend. "I like them every once in a while but I definitely wouldn't wear them every day. I feel like a princess." Astrid twirled in her light purple dress letting the skirt fly around her. She was happy that she could wear the strapless dress without worrying about people finding out. Once stopping, she placed her hand on the jewel studded belt that was sewn onto the dress.

"A princess waiting for Prince in Shining Armor?" Ruff playfully nudged Astrid.

"You're not going to stop teasing about this whole situation are you?"

"Nope," Ruff laughed. "That's what friends do."

The two continued to get ready for the dance as they continued to joke and laugh about the game. Once ready, the two walked out of the locker room and headed toward the gym where they met up with Snotlout. When he saw them, his mouth gaped at the two girls who laughed at his reaction.

"What did you expect?" Ruff asked. "For her to look like a troll?"

Astrid watched as Snotlout shook his head and saw his cheeks blush a bit. She was a bit confused by his reaction but it was nice to see him flustered, but something in her gut told her that his reaction wasn't for her.

"No," he responded. "But I didn't expect you guys to look this good."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Astrid teased.

"I didn't mean it like that!"

The two girls laughed as Snotlout stuttered then hung his head and mumbled something like 'shut up'. With his head still bowed, Snotlout held out his arm towards Astrid and, to her surprise, to Ruffnut and lead the two girls into the party.

The music was loud and the gym was already warm from all of the bodies dancing in the enclosed space. The gym's large ceiling lights were off but the room was lit by the colored strobe lights, lazers, and the strings of lights hung around the perimeter. Overall, it was an amazing sight.

From the right of them, Astrid noticed Tuffnut waving at them. Walking towards him, she realized that he was wearing a tux and that he wore it well. "About time you guys showed up," he shouted to be heard over the music. "Fishlegs and his date are already dancing."

He pointed towards the dance floor and the others looked in that direction to see Fishlegs twisting, in a tux as well, with a tall dark haired girl. He was laughing and smiling and overall enjoying himself.

"Go Fishface," Snotlout nodded. "Well, let's go Astrid. Don't want him being the only one to having fun."

Astrid nodded, deciding to just have fun tonight. She allowed Snotlout to drag her out onto the floor to dance and she began enjoying herself. Behind her, she heard something about Hiccup and Ruff exclaiming a 'what'. She wanted to know what made Ruff so shocked but she didn't want anything to ruin her fun. Her mind was here and now, she didn't care about anything else. She didn't care if her father flipped about her not being home her normal time, she didn't care about college being around the corner, she didn't care about anything happening in the future. She was only concerned about the here and now.

A few minutes later, the four of them were joined by Tuff and Ruff. The entire group danced for what felt like hours but in reality it was maybe two or three songs. Astrid stopped and turned to Ruff shouting, "I'm going to get something to drink."

"Ok!" Ruff smiled.

Astrid turned and headed towards the concessions through the crowd. It took a while with the room more crowded now than it was several minutes ago but she made it into the gym lobby where cups and coolers stood along with a variety of cookies and crackers. After taking a few cups of water, Astrid headed back into the crowd to get back to her friends.

The song that came on got everyone dancing in large movements, a few she had to dodge to avoid getting smacked or knocked over. She didn't get very far before she missed one of those moves and was thrown backwards. She tried regaining her balance but another body made that impossible and she closed her eyes, waiting for the floor to impact with her back.

Realizing that she was now floating a few feet over the floor, she opened her eyes to see two forest green eyes staring down at her. He had caught her as she fell and now it looked like he was dipping her. "Hiccup?"

"You almost had a nasty fall," he smiled as he lifted her up. "You okay?"

Astrid nodded as she starred at Hiccup. She didn't expect to see him here. He had expressed no interest in coming but here he was, saving her back from hitting the floor. But what his presence really did was gave her a realization about everything regarding Hiccup.

She felt her heart race as she looked at him. His hair was still tussled but it seemed to fit well with the tux he was wearing which really accented everything about him. The glow from the lights highlighted his face, his eyes glowing even brighter than before, his freckles illuminated. She felt a lump in her throat form, her palms getting sweaty, and her stomach churning uncontrollably.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked trying to keep her voice steady. "You said you weren't coming."

Hiccup chuckled. "I thought I wasn't but Tuff apparently signed me up for concessions so here I am."

"Here you are," Astrid laughed. "You look amazing."

"So do you," Hiccup smiled. "You're glowing."

Astrid lowered her head trying to hide the blush crossing her cheeks. "Thank you. I should be getting back," she awkwardly changed the subject.

"And I need to get to concessions," Hiccup nodded. "I hope you have fun!"

Astrid waved at him as he made his way to the lobby and she slowly made her way back to the group. She watched as Fishlegs and his date dance together while the twins and Snotlout continued with their crazy dance moves. She smiled seeing them all enjoying themselves but the new feeling in her gut distracted her.

"What do I do now?" she whispered.

* * *

**Here we go! Whoo!**

**Please let me know what you think. I love hearing from you. XD**


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